Good Boy Peter
by Her11
Summary: Peter Parker has stumbled into something he really shouldn't have. That's why he is currently tied up waiting to be interrogated by the mob boss, Tony Stark
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: Hi everyone, I am new to this site so I would love FEEDBACK. Did you like the story? Are there things you don't like. Message me! I'm also on Tumblr: Heroneone**

The first thing Peter felt as he slowly began to wake up was the cold. Not just any cold, but the kind of cold that seeped into your bones and makes you feel like it's impossible to get warm again. Peter's body moved involuntarily, causing a full body shiver to course through him, making him want to curl in on himself. He tried. But discovered rather quickly that that wasn't possible.

He blearily opened his eyes to see what was preventing him from getting into a tight warm ball. The first thing he noticed was that he was vertical, but wasn't standing. Then he felt the ache in his arms and shoulders. He looked up to see his hands tied by a rope to a hook hanging in the ceiling. He shuffled his feet so he could get them under him and release some of the tension and pain from his arms and shoulders. He quickly realized that he could only release the tension fully when he was on his tiptoes, and when he did he couldn't help the cry he made as the pain seemed to double in his shoulders and arms.

He tried to gently shake them as pins and needles shot through his body causing a whimper to escape his lips. He looked around the room trying to figure out where the hell he was, and how the hell he had gotten here. But his head still felt groggy and heavy, and when he tried to remember the last day or so his head pounded even harder than before. He shut his eyes trying to block out the light which would hopefully help with the pounding head. It helped a little but still, it wasn't the best solution.

He opened his eyes to look around the room again and was surprised about how empty it was. It was just a box of a room. There was a floor, a ceiling, four walls and nothing else. Well… that wasn't entirely true. There was a drain in the middle of the floor beneath Peter's feet and a light bulb hanging from the ceiling. a vent in one corner, a security camera in another, and there was one door right in front of him.

He felt the cold again and shivered to realize that he was only in a thin t-shirt, and his worn sweat pants that were so thin and old that they had holes in the knees, on his feet were his worn black converse. The temperature of the room had to be around 30 degrees Fahrenheit. No wonder he was shivering so much. There must not be heat in this building. It was the middle of February and last time he checked 10 degrees outside.

This didn't look good. The pounding in Peter's head began to ease and memories slowly came back to him. It started with flashes of a hand grabbing him from behind, the sound of his phone clattering to the pavement, and a cloth covered hand being shoved over his nose and mouth. Then later being in a moving vehicle and having something hit the back of his head, hard, causing everything to go black again.

Over the next five minutes, Peter struggled to keep on his tiptoes while all his memories fully returned and his grogginess disappeared. Tony Stark. That was the reason why he was here. Well not exactly, it was Ned's fault. Ned had called him to tell him about a raid going down by the docks and well, he needed pictures for the daily bugle, within the next 24 hours. So he went down there to snap some photos and pull himself out of a jam. The result was an even worse situation because it turned out it wasn't a police raid, it was a raid of the more illegal sort of one gang on another, and well he had been spotted.

And not just by anyone but by James Rhodes, Notorious mob boss, Tony Stark's right-hand man. So he did what anyone else would do and well… ran. He got away too. The only problem was he managed to drop his camera, which had his name on it. P. Parker. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Not only was it a hella expensive camera to drop, which probably broke on impact with the sidewalk, but it was like leaving behind Cinderella's glass slipper. All Rhodes had to do was pick it up and see who it fit.

On second thought it was the Daily Bugle's fault because if he hadn't needed those pictures then he wouldn't be in this mess in the first place. Peter shook his head, even to himself he couldn't lie. It was his fault. He was the one that got so wrapped up in school that he forgot about the picture deadline and what did he expect Jameson to give him a week extension? He was lucky enough to get 24 hours. Well, those 24 hours were up and instead of just getting fired it looked like he was going to get tortured and killed instead. At least he wouldn't have to worry about school anymore but he felt so bad for Aunt May, she had lost everyone and now she was going to lose her last living relative. And he would no longer be there to support her and care for her as he had planned. Now she would have to bury another relative.

He couldn't help it, tears pricked his eyes, he sniffed trying to keep them at bay but he couldn't hold them back. He could feel the first tear as it welled up and fell from his face to hit the floor by his feet. Followed by another and another. Soon he was hiccupping with every sob.

"Your such a beautiful little crier aren't you?" A voice spoke, causing Peter to jerk in his bonds and search frantically for where it was coming from. His eyes met those of a man of average height with a distinguished goatee. He knew who this was. It was none other than Mr. Tony Stark. Peter sniffed back his remaining tears. It was one thing to cry about his aunt when he was alone and tied up, it was something else crying in front of Tony Stark, who was dressed in a fancy three-piece suit, Italian leather shoes, and dark sunglasses.

Peter tried to turn his body to stone but he couldn't hide the shiver of fear that raced up his spine as Mr. Stark stepped closer to him. Stark stopped and used a hand to grab Peter's chin so he could examine his face more closely.

"It's too bad you were taking pictures, now I'll have to damage that pretty face of yours." Mr. Stark murmured as he let go of his chin and began to circle him, "and this pretty body too." Peter flinched as he felt Mr. Stark's hand stroke down his back.

"So you want to tell what an innocent thing like you was doing down by the docks with a camera? Hmm?" Mr. Stark said almost conversationally as he gave Peter a gentle push. Peter lost his little bit of a toe grip on the floor putting all the weight back on his arms making him cry out from the pain. When he finally got his feet back on the ground. Stark was watching him.

"I'm waiting, Peter Benjamin Parker." Mr. Stark said calmly. Peter flinched at the use of his full given name. "And I'm told I'm not a patient man."

"I…." Peter's voice came out weak and scratchy, he cleared his throat and tried again. "I didn't know your guys were gonna be down there. I thought it was gonna be a police raid or something. I didn't reali-" he was cut off by a slap across his face. The sound echoed around the room and he felt the sting on his cheek. Tears pricked his eyes again.

"I didn't ask what you knew or didn't know. I asked what you were doing." Tony said calmly, stepping back from Peter and pacing around him. "Try again, Peter."

"I was taking pictures but if you let me expla-" Another slap this time a backhand across the other cheek.

"Peter, I didn't ask you to defend yourself. I asked you what you were doing. If I have to explain to you how to answer a question one more time then I will do more than just backhand you." Mr. Stark said as he grabbed my chin forcing me to look into his eyes. "Do you understand?"

"Yes," Peter croaked.

"Yes, Sir" Mr. Stark corrected.

When Peter remained silent. Stark's expression turned dark and his fingers gripped Peter's chin bruisingly hard. "Do I have to teach you manners too?" Stark's voice dropped in volume and pitch causing a shiver to run up Peter's spine.

"No, Sir." Peter practically whispered out. A smile crossed Mr. Stark's face.

"Good boy" He praised as he let go of Peter's chin and patted the teen's cheek.

"Now, you were taking pictures. Why were you taking pictures?" Mr. Stark Continued.

"So I could keep my job at the Daily Bugle, Sir," Peter answered cringing back from Stark, Afraid of another slap.

Instead of a slap, Mr. Stark ran a soothing hand down his back almost in praise of his answer.

"That's a much better job as answering Peter, Good boy." Mr. Stark murmured. Peter couldn't help the flush of pleasure at the words and no slap. He tried to shake himself out of it. He just wanted to hopefully make it out of this alive and maybe he could go home and see Aunt May and then she wouldn't have to suffer at his death.

"Why would you lose your job at the Daily Bugle if you didn't have pictures from down at the docks?" Stark continued, as he circled Peter.

"Because I was late on delivering photos and my boss gave me 24 hours to deliver him quality pictures of something worth the front page," Peter spoke in a rush, hoping with all his might that it was the right answer to give, after all, it was the truth. Then he remembered and hastily tacked on "Sir."

"So you needed photos but it didn't matter what photos as long as they were newsworthy. Is that correct Peter?" Mr. Stark asked still walking around him.

"Yes, Sir." Peter nodded eagerly.

"Well, that begs the question of how you knew about the docks doesn't it," Stark said. It wasn't really a question but Stark had paused so Peter figured he was supposed to answer.

"My frie-" A slap across his face stopped him in his tracks yet again.

"Peter you were doing so well too. I haven't asked you anything yet have I. The rule is don't speak unless your answering a question." Stark sounded disappointed as he grabbed Peter's chin again in his unforgiving grip.

Tears pricked Peter's eyes again. Mr. Stark flipped through pain and soothing touches so fast it was hard to keep up emotionally with what was happening.

"Do you understand?" Tony asked as he looked Peter in the eyes.

"Yes, Sir" Peter whispered.

"Good boy."

The man let go of Peter's chin and started up his pacing walk around him once again.

"I'm assuming someone must have told you about the docks. So who told you, Peter?" Tony asked as he stopped in front of Peter looking at him sternly.

Oh shit, they wanted to know who told him. He couldn't give up Ned, they would hurt him, torture him.

Peter's eyes once again welled and he whimpered. If he didn't tell Mr. Stark what he wanted to know he was sure that he was going to hurt him, but if he did, then he would be putting Ned at risk.

"A friend, Sir." He finally tried, that was a middle ground he wasn't lying and he was technically answering the question, but he wasn't giving them Ned's name either. He saw the disappointment in Mr. Stark's eyes before the strike hit. It wasn't one slap this time but two.

"Peter, you knew I wanted a name but instead you deliberately disobeyed me. I find it honorable that you want to protect this friend of yours but the one thing I do not put up with is disobedience. I figured you would realize this by now as you have now disobeyed me for the fourth time. I'm not usually this patient, now I'm giving you one more time to tell me the truth, the whole truth, or you will get to see what I am like when I am out of patience." Mr. Stark said and waited with his hand again holding Peter's chin so he could see his eyes.

Peter wished to God that he could just give up Ned's name, or be able to suddenly reach out and kick Mr. Stark or immobilize him somehow, but he couldn't do either. He just couldn't. One option would hurt, a lot, but the other was unthinkable. The one thing that Peter knew about who and what he was, was loyal to a fault. He couldn't keep this emotional turmoil internal anymore, the tears that had been threatening to fall with each strike welled up and fell from his eyes. His breath came in and out of his lungs in short hiccupping gasps as he looked into Mr. Stark's eyes.

"I can't sir, I can't" he finally gasped out on one of his hiccupping breathes. Mr. Stark sadly shook his head.

"And you were so close to being a good boy. If you had given me the answer I wanted I would have let you go home, but it looks like I'm going to have to get the answer out of you another way." Mr. Stark let go of his chin as the words finally hit Peter. If he had been able to give up Ned he would have been able to go home. See his Aunt. Live through this. The hiccups got worse until he was practically hyperventilating. As he was in his own head he vaguely heard Tony leave, and then return.

He didn't know how much time had passed but he felt hands on his cheeks wiping away his tears and making soothing circles on his temples.

"Shhh shh I know this is hard, but you're going to learn that I don't put up with disobedience. Not from anyone." That was Mr. Stark's voice and hands, trying to calm him. As he slowly came back to himself he could hear the rattling of a radiator coming on and warmth starting to fill the room. He noticed that Mr. Stark had stripped off part of his suit. He now had on just a light grey dress shirt, his Italian leather shoes, and his suit slacks on. The suit jacket was gone as well as the sunglasses revealing the most beautiful brown eyes that Peter had ever seen.

The room had changed somewhat as well. Peter was still hanging from the ceiling but there was now a chair in the room and one of the T.V tables that can be folded up and stored in a closet. On it was something covered by a cloth. Maybe more than one something he couldn't really tell.

"There now that's better, can't have you going into a panic attack on me when I need your full concentration on me, and what's about to happen can I." Mr. Stark spoke smiling as he patted Peter on the cheek.

"I've turned on the heat so we can be more comfortable while I work, but you should know that there isn't much insulation in this old warehouse, so it probably won't get up to more than 60 degrees." Mr. Stark spoke as he moved back to roll up his shirt sleeves to the elbows. Showcasing forearms roped with muscle.

"I usually don't take such a personal interest in cases like your but you see, that whole… event down at the docks was a rather personal matter that I tried very hard to keep out of the public knowledge. So you will understand when I say that I have a very invested interest in finding out how you got this information." He continued to speak as he made his way over to the little table and pulled back the cloth revealing a pair of scissors, what looked like a flogger, a belt, a knife, and more rope.

Peter partial calm disappeared at the revealed items of torture. He started to panic again, this time thrashing in his bonds. He didn't want this, he wanted out NOW. He had forgotten how much his arms hurt though and cried out as he moved them. The pain wasn't enough to assuage the growing panic though. Instead, it just added to it. Peter started to shake violently along with his thrashing, he needed to get out of this, he needed to tell Stark anything to tell him he would be good so he wouldn't have those things used on him.

"Mr. Stark I'll tell you, I will just please don't hurt me, I'll talk, I tell you everything you want to know, I'll be good I swear. I wi-" He babbled uncontrollably as sobs returned with the hyperventilating making it harder and harder to speak.

Mr. Stark walked back over to him and grabbed Peter's sides gently so he would stop throwing himself around. He rubbed his sides soothingly and spoke in a calm murmur "I know you will Peter. I know you're trying so hard to be good for me, but you still need to be punished. Shh, shh, You need to be calm Peter. You want to be good for me right?" At Mr. Starks's words, Peter nodded emphatically. Of course, he wanted to be good.

"Then I want you to stop thrashing, I want you to stand still in your bonds for me, I want you to stop crying and just breathe for me. I want you to be calm for me." Mr. Stark said; as he continued to rub soothing circles along Peter's sides.

He could do that. He could stop thrashing and make his body go still. It was hard to stop the trembling but he could slow down his breathes and be quiet. Now he just needed to breathe slowly. He closed his eyes and focused on the way the room was warming and the feel of Mr. Stark's hands as they made soothing circles in his hip bones. That felt good, he could focus on that. When he was good he got touches like this. There was no pain when he was good.

"Good boy" Stark murmured in his ear. Peter realized that the reason he could feel Starks breath coating his ear was that his head was resting against Stark's shoulder, and it felt good to have his head resting there. It felt….safe, warm.

One last shiver raked up his spine as Peter finally got his body back under control. His forehead was still resting against Stark's shoulder and actually a lot of his weight. His legs were tired from being on tiptoe and so were his arms. It was so much easier just to lean into the warm man in front of him and stop thinking. Mr. Stark's hands were still on his hips, but hey had stopped moving and now they were just resting there.

"Are you ready now? Are you going to behave like the Good boy I know you are?" Mr. Stark asked. His breath tickled Peter's ears and he would have shivered if he weren't so relaxed. Was he ready? Peter was as ready as he was ever going to be so he took in a deep breath to steady himself, filling his nose and lungs with the scent of Mr. Stark. It was strong and clean with a hint of spice. All male. And nodded his head.

"Words Peter." Mr. Stark helpfully reminded him. Peter moved his head off of Mr. Stark and said: "Yes sir."

"Good boy"

Stark patted Peter's hip along with the words of praise.

"Now, you understand that you are still going to be punished for your disobedience and afterward I will give you another chance to answer the question. If you fail then you will be punished again, but more severely. Then after your punishment, you will be asked the question again, if you fail to answer you will receive another punishment and so on and so forth. Remember the punishments will increase in their severity and permanence until you understand what it means to be obedient. Do you understand?" Mr. Stark asked.

"Yes, sir."

Peter was not looking forward to this but if he could make it through the first punishment all he had to do was answer the question and he wouldn't be punished anymore. He could do this.

"Good, then let's get started." Mr. Stark said as he clapped his hands together. He moved over to the little table and picked up the pair of scissors lying there.

Peter wasn't expecting Stark to start with the scissors, this was only the first round, this wasn't good, he didn't know if he could make it through this.

"Hold still. I don't want to cut you." Tony said as he approached with the scissors in his right hand. Peter tried to hold as still as possible as Mr. Stark grabbed the hem of his old, thin, white T-shirt and started cutting it. He cut up the middle of the shirt until he was at Peter's chest then angled it so he went up the left side of Peter's body to the sleeve and all the way to the end. When he finished he went back to Peter's chest grabbed the shirt and cut up to the other sleeve until the shirt fell off of Peter. Peter shivered as the cold touched his now naked skin.

"There that's better." Mr. Stark said as he put the scissors in his back pocket and reached up to run his hands down Peter's now naked upper torso.

Peter shivered again at the contact of warm hands on his cool, naked skin. He'd never been touched like this by someone else. It felt weird, but not bad.

Stark walked around him and ran his hands along his back in the same way.

"Your skin is going to look so pretty with my marks on you." He heard Tony say quietly. He didn't think Mr. Stark was talking to him. It sounded more like he was talking to himself. He walked back over to the table and picked up the flogger. Then walked over to what looked like the light switches. Peter absently wondered why there were three when there was only one hanging light bulb in the room.

Stark flipped the middle one and there was a grinding sound as he felt his arms lower from the ceiling. He looked up to see that that was exactly what was happening. The hook was lowering by a chain from the ceiling. The grinding sound stopped when Peter felt the heels of his sneakers make contact with the floor.

"That's a better height for this. Now, Peter, I'm going to flog you ten times, for your first punishment. I want you to count them out loud and then thank me for them after each one. I'm going to do a practice one first to see that you understand." Mr. Stark said as he walked behind Peter.

Peter could hear the swishing sound of the flogger as it was swung lazily back and forth. He tried to look back at Mr. Stark but was blocked by his arms that were still being held above his head. It wasn't as high as before but still taught enough that he wasn't able to move them out of his way.

"Remember count out what number it is, then thank me, each time."

There was a louder swishing sound than the impact, it hurt more than Peter was expecting. Granted Peter had a horrible pain tolerance but still. He cried out in shock and surprise and nearly forgot Mr. Stark's instructions, but he remembered just in time.

"One. Uh thank you, Mr. Stark?" He added unsure if that was the correct way to do this.

Stark chuckled behind him and ran a hand along the place he had flogged on Peter's back.

"You will say thank you, sir."

"Thank you, Sir." Peter corrected himself.

"Good boy." was murmured into Peter's ear before Stark's body disappeared from where it had been pressed into his back. "Now for real this time." Was the only warning Peter got before he heard an even faster swishing sound and felt a much stronger impact this time on his lower back.

His body arched involuntarily shooting Peter up on his toes as he cried out again. Damn that hurt. Oh right.

"One," yea he was back at one, the first one had been practice, this was the real punishment. "Thank you, Sir."

"Good boy." was the only answer received. His mind was flushed with relief, he was doing this right.

"Oh, and I should tell you now if you forget to count or say thank you we start again from one." Mr. Stark said conversationally as the next blow landed, this time on his upper back.

"Two, thank you, sir." Peter squeaked as his body again arched away from the pain.

The next three blows came fast making it a little hard for Peter to keep up but he managed.

"Three, thank you, Sir."

"Four, thank you, Sir."

"Five, thank you, Sir."

Six and seven were worse than the first five. They were harder and hit in the same place on his middle back.

"Six, thank you, Sir!"

Seven, thank you, Sir!"

At this point Peter was crying and shaking again. He sagged in his bonds after seven trying to catch his breath through the hiccups.

Eight hit hard across his already aching shoulders, causing Peter to keen in pain.

"Eight, thank you,... Sir." He managed to gasp out, just in time.

Nine landed again on his abused shoulders just as hard as eight had, causing him to almost scream in pain.

"Nine, Sir thank you, Sir!" He babbled through tears, shaking even more violently than before.

He was almost done just one more, one more he could do this.

Ten landed squarely in the center of his back. It was the hardest blow yet. He screamed and arched away from the pain as far as he could.

"Ten, Sir, thank you!" He sagged fully letting the ropes take his full weight as gentle hands caressed the red marks along his back.

"Beautiful." Peter didn't know if he just imagined the fervent whisper or not. He was still too out of it from the pain.

He did feel the arms that wrapped around his naked waist and pull him into a hug from behind. The hands that skimmed his lower belly just underneath his belly button causing another shiver to run down his spine. His back was on fire. And the hands brushing across his skin felt, not exactly soothing, more ticklish and restless like they couldn't get enough of his skin.

"Good boy, you did so well." The murmured voice in his ear soothed the pain more than anything else could. That flush of relief and pleasure that there would be no more pain. That ee did well. He was a good boy. He leaned into the hug, leaned into the reward of being a good boy.

He heard the quiet chuckle that Mr. Stark let out. "Are you going to be an obedient good boy and tell me what you know? Are you going to be my good boy?"

The last question stood out to Peter but he couldn't figure out why. He was too far gone to care about anything but being good. So he just nodded his head and then rested it back against Sir's shoulder.

"Tell me who told you about the docks?" Mr. Stark's hands still skimmed up and down his belly and waist, tracing his semi-formed abs with a light fleeting touch. That felt good. And being held felt good too. It put some relief on his legs and even a little on his arms and shoulders too.

"My friend told meeee..., Sir." Peter's voice came out slurred and heavy, his eyelids felt heavy too so he let them close. His tongue felt weird and fat in his mouth.

"He tolddd me that there... wazzz going to be a raid dooooown... by the docksss, I thooought... he meannnnnt a policccccce raid" Peter continued his voice slurring even more.

Mr. Stark hummed from behind him. Peter could feel the sound reverberating in the chest he was leaning back against.

"I need a name, Peter. What's the name of your friend?"

Peter's forehead scrunched. There was a reason he wasn't supposed to tell Sir that, but he couldn't remember, and it really wasn't all that important. He wanted to be a good boy. And good boy's answered questions when asked.

"Ned, sir."

Another hum escaped Mr. Stark's lips, this time in satisfaction. "What is Ned's last name my good boy?"

Peter didn't usually use last names Ned was always just… Ned.

"Leeds" Peter remembered "Edward Leeds, But I just call him Ned."

"That's my good boy." Peter smiled at the praise. He felt lips brush his cheek, right in front of his ear.

Tony looked down at the half-naked boy practically cradled in his arms. This was just going to be another normal interrogation session, but from the second he had seen the boy's face covered in tears as he walked in, gasping for breath, he had known he was lost. Tony had many things, there was very little in life he wanted and when there was, well he took it. It was what made him who he was.

But he had never anticipated wanting something so…unexpected. He liked to play with his partners just like anyone else. So what if he a sadistic streak in him, so what if he liked to see someone break under his touch. He blamed it on his father. He just had never expected to walk into a room and want to tear someone apart from the inside out. It didn't hurt that the boy had zero pain tolerance. One slap and the boy was ready to break down and cry. But what made it better, or maybe worse was the way the boy melted at a gentle touch and a word of praise. It would be so easy to turn this boy into his very own pet.

And if all that was not enough the way the boy was so trusting; leaning against him after being punished cinched it. He was never letting this boy go, damned be the consequences.

Tony Stark was going to make little Peter Benjamin Parker his.


	2. Chapter 2

Peter really wasn't sure how he got here. One minute he vaguely remembers getting flogged and then trembling in Tony's eyes. Now he's waking up on the floor in the corner of a comfortable room with a pillow under his head, and his hands tied in front of him. Those hands were also tied to his ankles, which were also tied together, forcing him to remain in the curled up, child-like pose on his side. The only difference being his hands between his legs. He was still without his shirt, and now his socks and converse had been removed too, but he still had on his sweat pants and boxers, so that was good.

He looked around the room blearily. A luxurious burgundy carpet overlaid the floor with dark wooden panels covering the walls. The room itself was filled with heavy oak furniture that looked masculine and imposing. On one side was a seating area with a couch, two chairs, a coffee table, and a few end tables. The piece of furniture that really took over the whole room was the giant desk. It looked old but regal, with its supple leather top. And seated behind the desk was none other than Mr. Stark. What. The. Fuck.

What the fuck was he doing here. He'd already told Mr. Stark everything he knew. He physically flinched at that thought. He had let Ned down, he had given this man sitting just feet away from him Ned's full name. He whole identity cracked under the knowledge that he could no longer consider himself as the loyal friend he had always been. He was now a traitor and a snitch. Again the emotional tears began to fall, this time silently. He was so tired of feeling emotionally off balance, he just wanted to be home with Aunt May where things were safe and normal. Where the only things he had to worry about was school and his job at the Bugle.

"Ahhh, Peter you're awake, good." Peter startled at the sound of Mr. Stark's voice. He looked up to see the man had gotten up from his seated position at the desk to come over and kneel beside Peter.

"Now I'm sure you have lots of questions, so I'll allow you to ask a few as long as you are polite." Mr. Stark smiled down at him. "Go ahead."

"Ummm where are we?" Peter croaked then remembered Stark had said politely and what happened the last time he hadn't used the right language "Sir." He hastily added.

Tony's smile grew. "Good boy. To answer the question, we're in my office, back at my mansion."

"WHAT?" Peter shouted in shock. What the fuck was he doing in Stark's mansion? A hand grabbed his chin, hard.

"Peter, I know you're surprised, but if you do not control yourself, then I will have to instruct you on how to do so. Do you understand?" Tony spoke firmly as he looked Peter directly in the eyes. Peter knew this wasn't an idle threat, and he still remembered the experience from his last punishment

"Yes, Sir." Answered Peter meekly.

"Good boy, next question."

"Why am I here, Sir?"

"Hmmm, I don't think I'm ready to answer that question just yet. How about you try one more, I need to get back to work, so make it quick."

Peter thought about that, he was still dying to know why the hell he was here, but he felt like it was pointless to keep asking and more likely to get himself punished. His lips felt parched and dry.

"Can I have some water, Sir?" he timidly asked.

Stark looked startled, then smiled again as he let go of Peter's cheek, and patted Peter on the cheek.

"Yes my boy, you can have some water, and if you promise to behave and lay here quietly I'll cut the rope, so your wrists and ankles aren't tied together. Of course, we can't completely undo your bonds, can't have you escaping on me. So will you be a good boy for me?" Mr. Stark asked.

"Yes, Sir. I can do that."

"Good boy." Tony reached up and ruffled Peter's hair affectionately then stood and walked back to his desk. He pushed a button on his phone and called "Pepper?"

Peter was confused until a female voice answered. "Yes, Mr. Stark."

"Could you bring in a glass of water for my guest please and contact Rhodey while you're at it, I've been meaning to speak to him," Tony answered.

"Of course Sir. One moment please."

Mr. Stark moved back towards Peter, pulling a knife out of his back pocket. Peter tensed, but soon realized the knife was to be used to cut his bonds. The man kneeled down next to him again and reached between his legs towards where his wrists were tied to his ankles. Mr. Stark carefully cut the rope so that he was allowed to uncurl his body. His ankles were still tied together, and his wrists were still tied together, but he could at least move his body more.

"Thank you," Peter said fervently as he stretched his body working out the kinks.

"Thank you, sir." Tony corrected mildly with no punishment. He looked bemused more than anything else at Peter's sincerity.

At that moment there was a knock at the door, and then a tall woman with strawberry blond hair wearing an expensive looking pantsuit walked in holding a glass of water and carrying a folder in her other hand.

"Here you are, Mr. Stark." She said as she handed the glass of water to the still kneeling Tony and then set the folder onto his desk.

"Those are the notes you wanted me to have written up and printed out. Also, I called Rhodey He said he's about two hours out, he had to pick up…." Pepper paused as she looked over at Peter then back at Mr. Stark. "the uhh package you wanted and will be delivering it to the agreed upon location."

"Thank you, Pepper, you may go now," Tony replied as he turned back to Peter.

Tony leaned down and helped support Peter's head so he could take a drink. Peter gulped down the water gratefully, finishing the glass in record time. He looked back up at Mr. Stark in thanks.

"The drugs in your system will make you feel groggy for the next hour or so, so I suggest you just try and rest. I have work I need to do for the next hour or so." Mr. Stark went to stand up and go back to his desk.

"Sir?"

"Yes, Peter."

"What did you mean by drugs, Sir?" Peter asked tentatively.

"Oh that, well for transportation purposes, it was easier than trying maneuver you here awake. Also security reasons. You were only out for about an hour or so. Now enough questions I must get back to work. Be a good boy and rest." Tony said as he returned to his desk

Peter watched quietly from his position lying on the floor in the corner with his head on the pillow. He was still really groggy, but he didn't want to sleep, it was too interesting to watch Tony work.

He tinkered around on his computer and made humming noises to himself as he worked; he even turned on some Black Sabbath to listen to. Peter wasn't very familiar with the band, but he liked the sounds. It was pleasant and restful to be in this space with Mr. Stark. He didn't need to do anything but just be.

Peter wasn't sure how much time passed, but he was startled out of his half-sleep when the door burst open, and James Rhodes walked in. Peter looked over at Tony surprised that he didn't even flinch just kept on working.

"Tony, you wanted to see me?" Rhodes said as he came in and flopped down on the couch "And what's with the kid?" He added.

"Never mind the kid." Mr. Stark said distractedly as he continued to fiddle with something on his computer screen. "How's the package doing?"

Rhodes snorted "Sacred shitless. What did you expect?"

Tony hummed absentmindedly. "No, not really, we can deal with it in the morning let him stew for the night."

"Alright, whatever you say. You want Happy to watch him as usual?"

"Yea, that sounds like a plan. Meet again tomorrow morning then?"

"Sure thing Tones, Mind if I crash here tonight?"

"Yea no prob your usual room fine?"

"Yea, thanks, man."

Peter watched the whole back, and forth dialogue getting more and more anxious at the words. They had to be talking about Ned. What were they going to do to him? He needed to stop this if he could, he needed to do something. He had already let Ned down once, he just couldn't do it again. Panic started to set in, and his breaths turned fast and furious.

"Peter?" Mr. Stark's voice filtered through to his ears like he was under water. His whole body felt like it was under water. He couldn't breathe, couldn't move. There were suddenly hands framing his face.

"Peter look at me." Mr. Stark's voice penetrated fully through his panic until he was staring helplessly into his eyes.

"Peter you need to slow down your breathing again. Remember what I said about how I want you to be calm. You can be calm for me." Mr. Stark's voice was calm and gentle as he rubbed soothing circles over his temples.

Peter tried, he really tried to get himself under control, but every time he thought he had done it, He again thought about Ned and how he had let him down and lost it again.  
When he was finally able to calm himself down to low simmer of a panic. He could at least breathe for the most part, besides an occasional hiccupping breath.

"Can you tell me what caused the panic attack, Peter? I can't help if you don't tell me what's going on."

"Wha..what are you you you going to do.. do with Ned, Sir?" He gasped out.

"Nothing, if Ned tells me what I want to know," Tony answered honestly.

"Bu..buu…but what if h…h..he doesn't?" Peter asked terrified of the answer.

Mr. Stark gave him a hard look, then Peter realized he had forgotten the honorific.

"Sir." He hastily tacked on.

"Good boy and I don't think that will be a problem. I'm sure Ned didn't realize what information he got his hands on, we just need to track it to its source." Mr. Stark soothed.  
Those words finally helped to ease the rest of the panic Peter was feeling away.

A hmming sound came from the couch as Rhodes watched the interplay between the two.

"Hey, Tony you mind if I talk to you for a minute in private?"

"Yea Rhodey I'll meet you outside in a minute."

Rhodes mhmmd an affirmative as he left the office.

"Now I want you to stay put Peter while I go talk to Rhodey and I'll also bring you back a glass of water to help with the after-effects of the panic attack." Peter nodded at Mr. Stark's words and rested his head back down on the pillow, closing his eyes.

He suddenly felt so tired. It had been an exhausting day, and it just kept getting more tiring with each passing minute. Peter's body was done trying to process; all it wanted to do was shut down for a bit. Peter let sleep take him; things could get figured out later.

****  
Tony followed Rhodey out of his office, already guessing what his best friend wanted to talk about.

"What the hell, Tony, I knew you were acting differently about the boy when I watched the security footage of the interrogation but that? What's going on, we don't need him anymore." At this point, Rhodey was getting angrier, and he looked even more confused.

"I wanted him, so I took him, There's not much more to it." Tony defended himself. He couldn't explain to Rhodey that this craving he was having wasn't just a want, it was a borderline need. He could barely even explain it to himself.

"The kid is lying on the floor of your fucking private office! You never let people in there. The only ones are me, Pepper, Jarvis, and Happy. Again what the Hell!? I get if you want to play with him or something but this? That kid is going to be missed by someone, this puts you at risk, and I can't protect you from everything."

"But that's your job, isn't it? To assess all the threats to me and neutralize them, so I don't have to deal with them?" Tony shot back.

"Yea but you make my job 100 times harder when you do stupid shit like this! You brought the kid to your private home, you let him hear confidential information. I'd be fine with that if I knew, at the end of this, he'd be disposed of. But then you go and coddle him when he has a fucking panic attack!?" Rhodey's voice had raised to a shout.

Tony stepped back from Rhodey's anger and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, trying to stave off the incoming headache he could feel building. He then sighed.

"I know it doesn't make sense, it doesn't make any fucking sense to me either ok. But I just can't let him go, ok."

Tony watched as Rhodey calmed himself down and really looked at Tony.

"You're smitten aren't you?"

Tony jerked back in shock at that phrase, he was not smitten, he just wanted to keep what he considered his, and Peter was his.

"I am not! He's just a minor thing, I'll get bored of him eventually then I'll let you do what you must." Tony clenched his teeth, he was in complete control of this situation.

"Alright, whatever you say, Tony. I'll find out everything I can about the kid and his family so we at least can know what we're dealing with." Rhodey said as he patted Tony on the back then started walking down the hall towards the main foyer and the stairs. "I'll be in my usual room if you need me."

Tony watched Rhodey's retreating back, shaking his head. He crossed the hall to go to the small add-on Kitchen by his workshop so he could get that glass of water for Peter. He returned to his office quickly to see the boy curled up fast asleep. This was the first time Tony had really seen the boy fully at peace, and it took his breath away.

Rhodey was right; he was smitten, and it was inconvenient as all get out. But that didn't mean he was letting go anytime soon. He was selfish and narcissistic like that. It was late he should probably get them both into a real bed.

He set the glass of water on his desk and leaned down to where Peter was out cold on the floor. He picked the boy up gently, in a bridal style and cradled him to his chest.  
He moved through the house to the stairs and then up to his master bedroom. He passed both Pepper and Rhodey's room as he went. When he entered the bedroom itself, he wasn't sure where to put the boy and the kid probably needed to use the bathroom.

He considered waking Peter up so he could use the restroom then tuck him into bed with him, but wasn't so sure about that. Maybe he should just let the kid sleep. If Peter woke up in the middle of the night, he would deal with it then. He moved towards his large California king size bed, when he got to the side, he gently shifted Peter, so he was resting against Tony's left shoulder, arm, and right thigh while Tony used his right hand to move back the covers on his bed and lay the boy down.

Peter restlessly moved a little trying to get more comfortable, and Tony held his breath. But the boy stayed asleep. Tony pushed the covers over the boy and went through the master bathroom to get ready for bed himself. He took a quick shower, brushed his teeth, and changed into a pair of sleep pants before climbing into the other side of the bed. He looked at the boy sleeping less than three feet from him.

He couldn't help himself; he needed to touch the boy. He carefully moved himself to where Peter was sleeping and pulled him gently into himself, so Peter's naked back was resting against Tony's also bare chest. Tony sighed deeply closing his eyes. It felt good to hold someone in his arms. He drifted off to sleep faster than he had in months.


	3. Chapter 3

Peter was brought back to awareness by the feeling in his bladder, he needed to pee, badly. He was warm and comfortable in his bed and didn't want to move to the bathroom or even look at the clock, because then he would have to count how many hours he had left before he had to bike to school. He groaned as he thought about the chem test he still had to study for. Being a bio-chem major was great, studying for tests and classes wasn't.

At the sound of his voice, he felt something, no someone shift against his back. He tried to turn his body to figure out who the fuck had their arms wrapped around him and soon discovered that his hands and ankles were both tied...still. Fuck. How could he forget that he was still a prisoner? But that didn't explain why he was in a comfortable bed with some stranger spooning him from behind. He jerked out of the person's hold and rolled away as hard as he could. Maybe too hard because the next minute he knew he was flailing off the bed and landing with a solid thump on the floor. He was lucky that his head missed the corner of the bedside table.

There was a grunt of surprise from above him and Peter looked up to see none other than Tony Stark peeking his head over the side of the bed.

"Peter, what the hell are you doing?" Tony grumbled down at him.

This was all not ok. Peter was done, no, he was beyond done. He should be home or dead, not tucked into a fucking mob bosses arms who had punished him earlier today. He didn't even know this man!

Peter turned onto his stomach to get his knees under himself. And started awkwardly shuffling away from the bed on his hands and knees. He didn't care if he had to crawl all the way home he was getting out of here.

"Peter, get back here, what the hell are you doing?" Tony called after him.

Peter didn't look back he just kept up his awkward crawl towards the door he could see.

"Peter?" Peter heard the way Tony's voice raised in warning and sped up his crawling. He was almost to the door when he felt Tony's hand grab his shoulder.

Peter flinched away from the touch and curled on his side into a tight ball whimpering. Peter heard Mr. Stark sigh above him. They stayed like that for about a minute, Peter was terrified of being hit.

"Peter do you want to use the bathroom?" Tony asked from above him.

Peter looked up tentatively and nodded.

"Alright let's get you to the bathroom." Tony leaned down and scooped Peter up like he weighed nothing and carried him to the other side of the room to another door, He gracefully balanced Peter while he shoved the door open and set him gently on his feet by the toilet.

"Can you do it from here, or do you need help?" Mr. Stark asked. Peter wobbled a little but was able to keep himself standing with his excellent balance.

"I'm ok," Peter responded.

Mr. Stark stood there until Peter remembered.

"Sir." He said hastily.

"Alright, I'll give you some privacy, holler when you're done." Stark walked out of the room leaving Peter to his privacy. Peter looked around the luxurious bathroom he was in the corner behind a panel but he could see around the corner to see the doors to what he guessed was a closet, the luxurious bathtub, and shower.

It looked like Tony had left the bathroom entirely giving Peter even more privacy. Peter quickly shuffled his pants and boxers down his hips enough so he could empty his uncomfortably full bladder. When he finally felt more comfortable he hopped his way awkwardly towards the double sink so he could wash his hands, splash some water on his face, and try and clear his head. He still couldn't figure out why the hell he was waking up in Tony's bed it was all so confusing. He couldn't do this anymore he didn't care if he was punished he wanted to go home NOW.

Peter rested his butt against the sink so he could lean down and see if he could undo the knots around his ankles. They actually didn't look that hard. He wondered why he hadn't checked them sooner. He was able to un-tie them with very little trouble, not so much with the ones around his wrists. He couldn't get those knots. He might need a knife for those. But with the freedom of his legs, he was pretty sure he could outmaneuver Mr. Stark and escape.

Peter walked quietly to the door and opened it a crack to see Tony sitting on the couch holding a tumbler of probably scotch in his hand. He seemed to be staring unseeingly out the window and even better his back was to Peter. It was now or never.

Peter slinked towards the door, watching Tony for any signs of movement, but he stayed where he was on the couch. Peter got to the double doors that led out of the master suite and tried to gently open them, unfortunately, he forgot the clicking sound of the door as he turned the handle, and he cringed as he looked over to see Tony whirl around from his seat on the couch.

Peter made a split second decision and decided fleeing was the option he was going to take and did just that. He whipped open the door and sprinted out. The hallway was dark but it wasn't hard to follow the hall to the stairs. He was almost to the stairs when he heard a shout behind him. It must be Tony. Then a bang as another door flew open hitting the wall, hard. Another shout, then more shouting as he hit the stairs at a sprint, almost toppling head first down them. He was able to catch himself. And fling himself around the 180 curve and back down the next set of stairs.

He made it down the grand staircase, and into the large dark foyer. Peter ran for the doors and yanked hard on the handles but they wouldn't budge. He tried looking for the lock he could switch but he couldn't find one, and he didn't have enough time. He could already hear the sounds of bodies coming down the grand staircase, fast. Peter made another split second decision and decided to run left through a dark room with couches and a coffee table he managed to bang his shin against in his haste. He then shot back into a dark hallway and ran away from the shouting voices down to set of double doors.

Peter tried to skid to a halt so he could open the doors but ended up bouncing off of them instead. He recovered enough to grab the handle and yank one of the door's open. He could hear people hot on his heels so he flung himself into the room and fell down a small set of marble stairs, landing hard on his left shoulder and hip so he was sprawled on the cold stone floor. He looked up to see Tony, followed by Rhodes and the lady Pepper, come into the room. This didn't look good.

The expression on Mr. Stark's face was thunderous as he stalked towards where Peter was lying at the bottom of the stairs in the enormous room. He was unceremoniously jerked to his feet by Stark grabbing his right arm above the elbow. He was then resoundingly slapped, making his head jerk.

"That's one." Mr. Stark growled his voice shaking with rage. "I will only ever put up with this once. The next time you try to escape I will send the dogs after you and let them deal with you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Peter whispered staring down at their feet.

"Try that again." Stark snarled as he grabbed Peter's chin in a bruising grip, forcing the boy to look up into his face.

"Yes, Sir," Peter said louder trying his best to meet Mr. Stark's eyes.

"Better." Mr. Stark grunted.

"Rhodey take him to my room, while I go grab some things from my office. Pepper go back to bed, sorry for waking you. Peter will be apologizing formally to both of you in the morning after we... talk about his behavior this evening." Tony stated to the room at large. He then thrust Peter towards Rhodes and stormed out of the room.

Peter was terrified, he had never seen Mr. Stark lose control like this, not even when he was being punished that first time. Rhodes started to drag his frozen body out of what must be a ballroom down the now lit hall and back up the double flight of stairs. He continued dragging him until they entered the master bedroom again. Peter expected Rhodes to let him go at this point but the man just kept a tight grip on his upper arm. This was beyond not good.

He shouldn't have tried to escape but he was just so, so angry about being kept here, and confused about why. Why did Stark want him in his bed? What if... What if he wanted to molest him? Peter didn't want that. He didn't want his first kiss to be with Tony or his first sexual experience to be forced. He had planned on finding a nice person his own age. Someone he could go on cutesy first dates with and have that adorably awkward first kiss when he dropped the person off at their door.

If it ever came to that Peter knew he would fight, and fight hard. His thoughts were interrupted by Mr. Stark stalking into the room with a gym bag slung over a shoulder, still livid.

"You can let him go Rhodey, also I went ahead and let Dum-E and U inside. They can guard the house from the inside tonight." Mr. Stark spoke, his voice at least sounded calmer than before.

"Alright, do you need anything else before I turn in?" Rhodes asked as he let go of Peter and headed towards the door.

"No, I'm good," Stark said as he watched Peter with hard eyes.

Rhodes shrugged then quietly exited the room, gently closing the door behind him. Tony continued to watch Peter as he casually locked the door and set the gym bag on the floor.

"Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way. The easy way is you do everything I say and staying obedient, or we do this the hard way and you fight me. The punishment will happen, either way, you just get to decide the severity. You should know I'm leaning towards making this the hard way no matter what so test me at your own risk." Tony said as he leaned back against the door watching Peter with half closed eyes. For all intent and purposes, Stark looked relaxed but Peter could see that rage still clung to him in the tenseness of Tony's muscles and the way his jaw clenched and unclenched.

Peter was surprised to realize that they were both only wearing pants, he had almost forgotten it was the middle of the night in February and he had just tried to run outside, barefoot and half naked. And Peter could bet that Dum-E and U were the dogs Tony had mentioned earlier, so even if he did manage to make it out of this room again, he would have to deal with two guard dogs of unknown size, breed, and aggressiveness. His best, no, the only option was to stay put in this room.

His only choice was whether he went down easy, or fought back. Peter was definitely scared of Tony Stark, there was no doubt about that, but that didn't stop his anger at the injustices that had been done to him come boiling to the service. He was done being a lap dog for this man, If Tony wanted a fight well God Damn it, so did Peter.

Peter firmed his resolve standing up a little straighter and meeting Tony's eyes with an equally hard look. His chin butted out into a mulish expression of defiance. He wasn't going to lay down for this one. Mr. Stark must have seen his expression change because a hint of a smile crossed his own mouth.

"The hard way it is." He said, as he shoved his shoulders off the door frame and stalked towards Peter. Peter's resolve started to waver as Tony got closer to him. Tony wasn't all that tall but he was broad and roped with muscles. Not the pretty muscles that were for show and sculpted in the gym, but work muscles earned by hard labor, and fights. The kind mechanics or boxers had.

Peter backed up a step and dodged behind the couch to put a piece of furniture between himself and the man in front of him. Peter was going to fight but he wasn't stupid. Tony was much stronger than him, and if he got his hands on him, Peter knew he would lose.

Tony growled and followed Peter, but instead of going around the couch he climbed straight over. It was disconcerting. The man didn't run or chase after Peter. He just tracked Peter's movements as he dodged around the room and followed like the unrelenting force he was.

Finally, Peter found himself pinned in a corner with no escape route that didn't lead straight into Tony's arms. The triumphant smile on Mr. Stark's face as he saw that Peter was well and truly trapped sent a shiver down Peter's spine. Stark moved closer and closer into Peter's personal space until he was standing over Peter with his left hand resting on the wall above both their heads.

Stark's other hand came up and curled around Peter's throat. The hand didn't tighten but the threat that it could at any moment was definitely there. Mr. Stark's thumb came up and rubbed gently along Peter's jawline. He leaned in until his head was beside Peter and he could whisper in his ear.

"You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into do you. You should have stayed home instead of going down to the docks. You should have crawled into your bed, pulled the covers over your head and prayed to God. But now it's too late. You walked right into the devil's home, and now? Well, the devil doesn't let go of things easily, and if he does let go it's because they have been ripped from his cold bloody fingers."

Peter shivered more at Mr. Stark's words. He was never going to go home, He would never see his aunt again. Mr. Stark chuckled in response to Peter's shiver. His right hand tightened around Peter's neck as he pulled him forward towards the door. Tony reached down and grabbed the bag off the floor then walked them both over to the bed. Peter was too afraid to struggle with the hand around his neck. He was terrified that his oxygen would be cut off and he would slowly asphyxiate to death.

Mr. Stark threw him down on the bed so he landed face down with his head buried in the comforter. Hands grabbed one of his ankles and started tying a rope around it fast. Peter tried to kick out at the hands, so he could get his ankle free, but Stark was too strong and he received a harsh slap on his inner thigh that he could feel stinging even through his sweatpants. Peter yelped in pain and tried wiggling once more.

Again he was slapped on the same spot of his thigh, making him cry out. Shit that hurt, tears welled but Peter would be damned if he let Stark see him cry again. He held still as Mr. Stark finished tying something around his ankle. The ankle was then tugged sideways. Causing Peter to widen his stance or risk losing his footing. Another minute or two passed and then Peter heard a grunt of satisfaction.

Next, his other ankle was grabbed and again rope was being tied. Peter tried one more time to fight against it but received another stinging slap, this time to the inner thigh of his other leg. Peter hissed out a breath of pain and buried his face in the comforter, trying desperately not to cry. After Mr. Stark had finished tying his knot around Peter's ankle, he tugged again so Peter had to widen his stance even more or lose his footing completely, The was a slight stretch of his inner thighs as peters legs were split farther then he was used to. It wasn't painful, but not exactly comfortable. Peter felt exposed being so open to someone and whimpered in discomfort.

Another grunt of pleasure was given when the bonds on his legs were tested and found to be satisfactory. Mr. Stark moved around the bed and grabbed under Peter. Peter tried to shrink away but his hands were pulled out from underneath him and over his head. Stark tied a rope around the middle of his bonds and the pulled on it tightly until Peter's arms were stretched as far as they comfortably could go above his head. Stark then tied the rope to some part of the underside of the bed.

All this rope left Peter immobile lying half on the bed sideways with his hips right on the edge of the bed. His legs were splayed apart by rope and his arms were being stretched across so he looked like a folded upside down Y. He could move his head to the side for air but not more than that. He couldn't see behind him to figure out what the hell Stark was going to do.

Stark hummed as he rounded the bed so he was standing behind Peter. Peter flinched as he felt Stark's fingers skate down his back. He felt Stark gently trace up and down, his muscles jumping under the light touch. The fingers left his back and Peter almost felt bereft without the touch but he shook it off. He didn't want this he wanted out, and he was going to fight this. To prove it to both Tony and himself, Peter began to struggle vigorously in his bonds and started shouting at Tony.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD, I WON'T BE QUIET I WON'T PUT UP WITH THIS. DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME YOU MOTHER FUC-" Peter screamed as something came down on his back hard. Holy fuck that hurt.

He couldn't stop the tear that fell. He buried his head in the covers and whimpered as the stinging pain stayed even after whatever hit him was taken away. And that was just one blow.

"Watch your mouth, boy. Or I'll gag it. That is your only warning the next time you curse at me, I'll make sure you won't be able to speak for a week. Is that understood?" Mr. Stark's voice came across clear and demanding. Peter nodded into the bed, then screamed as he was hit again with whatever Stark was using, this time across his lower back.

"I said, is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," Peter mumbled into the covers.

"That's better, not perfect but better. Now, do you know why you are about to be punished?"

"For trying to run away? Sir." Peter mumbled into the covers.

"That's one of the reasons yes. Do you know any of the others?"

"For fighting you? Sir."

"Yes, any others?"

Peter shook his head confused. Those were the only two he could think of.

"One for running away, two for disturbing my guests Pepper and Rhodey, Three for not doing what you were asked to, and four for continuing to fight me and not accepting your punishment. For the first punishment, you will receive 15 lashes from the belt. For the second you will receive 5 smacks from the paddle and will be formally apologizing to both my guests tomorrow morning. For the third, you will be flogged ten times. And for the last well... as that is the most serious, I'll leave that as a surprise."

As the list was ticked off Peter's muscles grew tighter and tighter. This was going to hurt, a lot. A lot more than that first flogging. Peter was just now realizing how easy Stark had gone on him in the interrogation room. This was a whole nother level of what it means to be punished.

"Do you understand why you are being punished and what your punishments are?" Mr. Stark asked as he set the gym bag on the bed beside Peter and started rummaging through it.

"Yes, Sir."

"Good then let's get started. I'm going to begin your punishment for your third error, which was not doing what you were asked to do. As before you will count and say thank you after each strike. Now let's begin."

That was the only warning Peter got before he heard a familiar swishing sound and then felt the impact of the flogger. Peter yelped into the covers but made sure he said loudly  
"One, thank you, sir." Peter knew what would happen if he didn't answer. This whole thing would start all over again.

The next five came fast but fortunately not too hard.

"Two, thank you, Sir."

"Three, thank you, Sir."

"Four, thank you, Sir."

"Five, thank you, Sir."

"Six, thank you, Sir."

By this point, Peter was crying and whimpering. It hurt just as bad as the first time this had happened. Mr. Stark paused and ran a hand down his side soothingly.

"You're being so good. Keep it up for me, you can do this." Mr. Stark's soothing voice was like a balm to the pain of the strikes. Peter hated it. He didn't want to feel soothed by the man hitting him.

"Ready Peter?"

"Yes, Sir." Peter whimpered, it was better to get this over with.

"Alright," Stark spoke quietly and then the swish again fast, but not that hard.

"Seven, thank you, Sir."

"Eight, thank you, Sir."

Peter was gasping for breath, those last two hadn't been bad but the building of pain was hard to take. Another soothing rub from Mr. Stark along his flank as a sign of comfort. Then the last two strikes down the center of his back.

"Nine, thank you, Sir."

"Ten, thank you, Sir." Peter sobbed the last one out and collapsed completely on the bed going boneless. He was breathing hard and tears were still coursing down his cheeks.  
Stark leaned down running soothing hands down his back and kissed the back of Peter's head.

"Good boy, Peter, you were so brave for me." Mr. Stark murmured into Peter's ear as he continued to rub the boy's back and sides.

Peter whimpered almost leaning into the touch. It felt good. He was good. He could do this.

"My good boy." Stark nuzzled Peter's neck then lifted back up. "Are you ready for the next punishment?"

Peter didn't know if he could take another punishment like that, he was barely able to handle just one. He didn't know how to respond.

"It's ok Peter the next one won't be that bad then we can take a break before the third and fourth one."

Ok, Peter could do that.

"Then yes, Sir"

"Good boy, next we're going to do the paddle, it won't be as bad and it's only five instead of ten."

Peter nodded in acknowledgment and buried his face back in the covers biting his lip. Stark ran another soothing touch down Peter's back and ended it on his hip, he then rummaged around in the bag again.

"Alright remember to count and thank me."

Then SMACK. Peter yelped and jumped in surprise as the blow landed on his ass. He wasn't expecting that. He almost forgot to speak but quickly said:

"One, thank you, Sir."

The paddle felt different than the flogger. It wasn't just the difference in location there was also more of a sting even with the added padding of his boxers and sweats. The next blow landed on his other cheek.

"Two, thank you, Sir." Peter yelped out.

Three and four came fast and harder than the first two making Peter cry out at both hits.

"Three, thank you, Sir."

"Four, thank you, Sir."

At this point, Peter was again crying but harder, his breath had started to hiccup as he prepared himself for the last SMACK. It landed right at the point where his thighs met his buttocks harder than the first four making Peter scream and jump forward trying to get his butt away from the pain.

"FIVE, th..th thank you, Sir." Peter babbled.

Mr. Stark ran a soothing touch over Peter's stinging rear.

"Good boy, you took that so well. You're halfway there." Mr. Stark said as he laid next to Peter on the bed.

Peter turned his head to look at Mr. Stark with tear stricken eyes.

"I can't take anymore, sir."

Stark's eyes hardened. "You can and you will. I won't push you beyond your limits. Be good for me baby."

Stark caressed Peter's cheek and ran his fingers gently through Peter's hair. Peter closed his eyes and let his head rest on the bed as Mr. Stark continued to stroke his hair. Mr. Stark must have gently massaged Peter's scalp for 5 minutes because Peter had gone boneless under the touch. He had no idea how good it would feel to have someone else touch his scalp like that. He wanted to purr in pleasure, it felt that good.

The fingers traveled down to his neck, giving him a gentle neck massage to compliment the head massage. Peter turned his head into the covers so Mr. Stark had better access, and moaned. Those fingers were so talented.

"It's time Peter. Let's finish this and put it behind us."

Peter tensed as he remembered what he had yet to come. He felt it as Mr. Stark got off the bed and stood behind him once again.

"This next punishment I'm going to combine the two so we can get this over and done with. Understand that I am still angry and disappointed in you, but after this, I hope you will have learned your lesson and understand that I definitely do not tolerate running away or fighting your punishments. However, I am always willing to help correct behavior until the lesson is fully ingrained." Mr. Stark said as he pulled something out of the gym bag.

Peter felt Mr. Stark touch the top of his butt were his sweatpants started. He tensed as he felt Mr. Stark lift the pants and start cutting. Peter craned his head back trying to see what he was doing.

"Sir?" Peter asked nervously.

Mr. Stark just hummed in response.

"What are you doing, Sir?"

"Cutting off the rest of your clothes, it's part of the punishment. Quiet now."

Peter gulped, this was not good, very not good. Maybe if he pretended this wasn't happening he could get through this. But that was so hard to do when he could feel cool air touching his newly exposed skin and could feel Mr. Stark's fingers as they skirted down the back of his right leg. One leg was done. Stark moved onto the next leg this time going up. Peter whimpered as more and more of his skin was exposed to Mr. Stark's eyes. Finally, the sweat pants were cut all the way through. Stark tugged them out from underneath Peter's hips.

Peter buried his face in the covers, he may not be able to keep his body protected from this man but he could at least keep his expression his own. Peter thought Mr. Stark was done with stripping him but he was wrong. Mr. Stark grabbed the elastic on his boxers and started to cut those off him too. Peter whimpered into the covers.

The boxers were stripped off of him too. He was now naked tied face down to a bed. With his ass in a very vulnerable position for being raped. God that must be part of his punishment. Mr. Stark was going to butt rape him. And that's when the most humiliating thing happened to him yet. He started to bawl like a little baby. It was all too much, the kidnapping, the betraying Ned, the roller coaster of Mr. Starks actions and touches from comforting to painful. He couldn't take this anymore, not emotionally.

"Peter, what's wrong?" Suddenly Mr. Stark was lying beside him rubbing soothing circles between his shoulder blades.

"I d..d..do...don't want to be b..b...bu...butt raped." Peter blubbered into the covers wet with his overflowing tears. Suddenly Stark started laughing. Not just any laughing but full on belly roll laughs.

Peter looked over at Mr. Stark, stunned. Stark had rolled onto his back and was literally clutching his stomach with mirth. Peter then got angry.

"Why the hell are you laughing? Don't you get that I don't want you to rape me!"

"Peter." Mr. Stark gasped out. "I'm not going to rape you. I promise. I may punish you in ways that are painful or uncomfortable but I would never rape you. I won't take that away from you." By the end of his speech, Mr. Stark looked very serious.

"Do you understand Peter?"

"Yes, sir. But then why strip me."

"Hits against bare skin are more painful. But I promise I will never do something I believe you can't handle. And I will never rape you."

The darndest thing of it all was Peter believed him. He hadn't been around the man long but there was a moral integrity to him that he would never break. One of them seemed to be that he would never promise something he didn't mean to keep. When Tony Stark said the words 'I Promise" he meant them, and he would die to keep them.

"I believe you, Sir." Peter finally said looking Mr. Stark in the eye.

The smile that bloomed across Stark's face would have blinded the sun it was so radiant and bright. It was like looking at heaven for the first time. It not only lit up his face but it lit up the depth of his eyes, too. They sparkled like Jasper stone in the sun, full of light, color, and warmth. It was the most beautiful thing Peter had ever seen.

"That's my good boy," Stark said softly as he leaned down and kissed Peter's temple. "Now let's get this over with."

"15 strikes with the belt. You don't have to count them or thank me this time but at the end, I expect a lot of gratitude. I'm not going to lie to you this is going to hurt, a lot. That's why I'm not asking you to count baby. Ready?"

Peter sucked in his breath and blew it out in a hard sigh. 15 Strikes and it was all done, he could be good and do this for Mr. Stark.

"Yes, Sir."

"Alright."

THWACK. God mother fucking shit. Peter cried out, Mr. Stark wasn't kidding that hurt. That was what Mr. Stark had used when Peter was cursing at him. The first hit landed on his upper back. Peter's tears were back and falling down his face.

THWACK, THWACK.

Two and three landed on his back as well this time towards the middle. Peter yelped at each blow. God this hurt so badly.

THWACK, THWACK, THWACK, THWACK.

Four, five, six, and seven landed on his ass, two for each cheek. Peter whimpered at each hit. He was crying so much, he didn't think he could get air in for more than that. Of course, he was quickly proven wrong.

THWACK, THWACK, THWACK.

Eight, nine and ten landed lower, between his thighs and buttocks, causing Peter to borderline scream with each hit.

THWACK, THWACK.

Eleven and twelve. Were on his back again. Peter at this point was screaming in pain with each blow but he just had to make it through three more.

THWACK, THWACK, THWACK.

The last three landed hard on his ass again. Mother fucker, it was so painful, but he knew what was expected to him.

"Th.. ..thank you, Sir. Thank you." He babbled as he tried to gasp for breath.

"Good boy. You're so good. You did so well. It's over now, it's done." Mr. Stark cooed into his ear as he gently wrapped Peter in a hug from behind.

"Let's get you untied." Stark left soft, butterfly kisses down his back as he moved off of Peter and leaned down to untie his ankles. Peter was in a haze and had again gone boneless on the bed, so he was vaguely paying attention to what Mr. Stark was doing. He felt the tension on his ankles vanish and the tightness on his arms stop as well. He almost slipped down the bed, but was picked up and cradled, then placed in the center of the bed with Stark wrapped around him and covers up to his chin.

"You were so good for me. I'm so proud of you, now sleep. Sleep for me baby boy. It's all going to be ok."

Peter was half aware of the whispered words in his ears. He snuggled deeper into Mr. Stark's touch and used his now free hands to wrap his fingers around one of Mr. Stark's hands. The tiredness took over and he fell into a dreamless sleep feeling warm and safe wrapped up in Tony Stark's arms.

*****  
Tony listened as Peter's breathing leveled out into sleep. He held the boy, as he tried to calm his own breathing, and sink into sleep but he just couldn't.

He had been so frightened when he saw Peter, running out the door. It was dark and his hands were tied. And then when they had followed him into the Ballroom and saw Peter fall down the steps, Tony's heart had been in his throat, it would have been so easy for Peter to land on his head and get a concussion or much worse.

His fear had immediately turned to anger, He hated being out of control and he had never felt so out of control then when Peter had tried to run away. The punishment had helped, a lot. He felt better when he could be in control and expel his anger.

Then the damn kid had thought he was going to rape him. Tony had never taken an unwilling partner. He wasn't going to start now. Sex was about pleasure and control. Peter would be begging for his touch when they had sex not just tolerating it.

Tony sighed he wasn't going to get any sleep tonight at this rate. He gently extricated himself from the kid. And went to unlock the door to his room. When he opened the door he was greeted by the happy smiling faces of U and Dum-E. The two German Shepherds snuffled against his legs and wagged their tails in greeting. Tony rubbed their ears in affection and let them both into the room.

"Guard boys," He said as he pointed to where Peter was lying on the bed. Both dogs jumped up on the bed. Dum-E curled around peter so his head was resting on Peter's hip. U curled up at the bottom of the bed so his head was resting atop Peter's feet. Tony nodded in satisfaction.

"Good dogs."

Tony left the room and headed for his workshop. Maybe he could work on his McLaren 720S, he was working on rebuilding the engine so he could add his own customized touches to it. Dealing with Peter and how he was feeling about him could wait.


	4. Chapter 4

Peter stirred, he felt overly warm, but he couldn't figure out why. Then something licked his ear. Why the fuck was Tony licking his ear? He moved his hand to shove Tony away so he could get more sleep but his hand encountered something warm and furry instead. Peter felt around behind him. His fingers ran into a snout and a sloppy tongue that licked his fingers. Well, he wasn't exactly expecting that. He peered blearily behind him to see a tongue lolling out of an open snout. The dog started licking his face enthusiastically.

Peter tried to shove the dog off, but the animal just got up and pinned him to the bed with a paw on his shoulder so it could more vigorously clean his face.

"Get off of me, you mutt," Peter said laughing. The dog barked in his face, which was answered by another dog's bark down by his feet. Peter looked over the first dog to see another one lying on his feet. This second dog got up and joined the first one in licking his face.

Peter couldn't help himself; he giggled uncontrollably as both dogs groomed his face and hair thoroughly.

"Alright, alright I'm clean now. That's enough, ok. STOP" At his shout both dogs finally stopped and sat down on the bed panting and staring at him.

Peter scooted himself up the bed until his back was resting against the headboard then flinched at the pain that shot through his back and butt. The blankets still covered him from the waist down, but the rest of him was naked and exposed. Peter looked around the room for Mr. Stark, but he wasn't there. It was just him and the dogs, weird. Peter yawned and stretched slowly so as not to upset his back and ass anymore. He carefully wiggled his fingers up to the ceiling and pointed his toes towards the bottom of the bed. It was nice to have the full range of motion again, but there was still a substantial amount of pain from last night.

Peter also quickly realized that his bladder was pretty uncomfortable too. He moved the covers back so he could hop out of bed and head to the restroom again. His hop was more of a partial stumble due to how stiff he was, but he made it. The dogs followed close on his heels like they were glued to his side. It was weird, but Peter didn't mind. He loved dogs, and these were the two most beautiful German Shepard's he had ever seen. They were large, roughly 80 pounds each with gorgeously colored coats, and fluffy tails.

He used the toilet he had used before and washed his hands. He cupped his hands under the faucet and took a couple of sips of water to clear the taste of morning breath from his mouth then walked stiffly back out to the master bedroom. He looked around curiously; there were large bay windows on the right-hand side of the bed that overlooked the rest of the estate. He moved closer to the windows, curious about where he was. He was surprised to realize he was on a beach. Granted the beach was covered in snow and ice, but there it was. He must be in Southampton; that was the only place he could think of to explain the beach. He had known Tony Stark was wealthy, but he hadn't realized how wealthy. This house must cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Peter staggered back from the windows and sat down on the bed, hard, wincing in pain. If he didn't realize the extent of trouble he was in before, it was very plain to see now. Peter buried his face in his hands and sobbed.

Peter wasn't sure how long he cried for, but when he finally cried himself out, he felt tired, had a headache, was significantly dehydrated, but felt a lot better. He hadn't had the chance to just cry with no interruptions, no complications. Only himself and his emotions, it felt good. His head felt clearer than it had in days. Even before he was captured, there had been so much stress that had just been slowing building between work, Aunt may, school, and friends, it was nice to clear that all away through a solid, good cry.

Peter looked down to see two heads in his lap looking adoringly up at him. He smiled at the dogs that were comforting him and patted them both. He also realized he was still very much naked and had zero clothes currently to his name. Well, he would have to borrow something from Mr. Stark.

Peter remembered the closet was in the bathroom. He walked towards it, curious about what he might find. But he was stopped when Peter saw himself in the mirror, a dark spot just barely visible from the front by his shoulder caught his eye. He turned his back to the mirror and looked behind him. His back, butt, and the top of his thighs were riddled with bruises from his punishment last night and the day before. He gently poked at one and hissed, they fucking hurt. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything he could do about them now but try and ignore them.

He quickly opened the door to the closet and was shocked at the size and scope of it all. It was the size of his bedroom at home. He shook his head; he shouldn't have been surprised by any of this anymore.

The closet appeared to have two sides to it. One side was all suits, while the other was casual clothes, underwear, and sleepwear. Peter headed in the casual clothing direction. He rummaged through drawers until he found a pair of gym shorts that he had to pull the drawstrings on and tie them tightly so they wouldn't slip off his hips. He also grabbed a raggedy T-shirt that was two sizes too large on him. He looked goofy, but it was nice to have clothes on again.

The dogs, of course, had followed him and were sitting with tails slightly wagging, their mouths hanging open in smiles and tongues lolling out to the sides. They were cute pups. Peter grinned and bent down to wrap an arm around each one's neck and hugged them to him. He was glad he had friends here, even if they were dogs.

Peter couldn't hug the dogs forever; he needed to figure out what to do. He could lie on the couch or go back to sleep, but honestly, he didn't feel like it. He felt rested and wanted to go exploring.

He wasn't explicitly told he wasn't allowed to explore. Just not to disobey and not to run away (he had the bruises on his back to prove it). Neither of which he planned to do. Besides he was hungry. Of course, if he found the door to be locked that probably meant he should stay put, only one way to find out.

He checked the door; it was unlocked. He'd risk it. If Tony got mad, he'd explain he thought it was ok and that he didn't mean anything by it. He bet he could get Tony to listen. To be safe, he opened the door a crack and looked out. No one was guarding the entrance, another sign he was allowed to leave. He opened the door, and the dogs followed him down the hall, one on each side of him. At the bottom of the grand staircase, Peter decided to go right this time.

He found himself passing a fancy looking dining room and, another room that was full of bookcases that went from floor to ceiling, all the bookshelves were full of books, some even looked to be overflowing. Then he stumbled onto the kitchen and a room with a large TV and comfy looking sectional. He saw a bowl of fruit on the counter of the kitchen and made a beeline for it. He sifted through it finding oranges, apples, bananas, grapefruit, pears, kiwi, and something he suspected was a pomegranate. He snatched up an apple and bit into the fruit hungrily.

He continued to explore this side of the house, munching on the apple with his trusted dog sidekicks.

The group of adventurers discovered a game room, a laundry room, a mud room, a sunroom, two pantries, and a secret stairwell. Once Peter's curiosity was satisfied he moved over to the other side of the house. He passed by the living room where he had banged his leg on the coffee table, which reminded him to check his shin. He found a faint bruise from the run in but nothing too bad.

Across from that was a pair of closed double doors, he'd check that out later. He followed the hallway down to the double doors he had run through last night. He was curious about what the giant room looked like in daylight. He peeked his head in and saw marble and light everywhere. There were enormous bay windows on one side of the room with French doors that led to a terrace overlooking the ocean. It was a tad pretentious for Peter's tastes, so he closed the doors. He tried another door in that hall, but it was locked tight.  
He went back towards that first set of double doors and tried them. They weren't locked and opened easily. He peeked in to see a room with a partial kitchen and seating and another open door. From the open door was emanating loud rock music.

Peter curiously walked over and looked in to see a pair of familiar pajama pants sticking out from beneath a fancy looking sports car. It was Tony. The room was full of expensive vehicles, mechanical gear, and anything else you would need for tinkering with engines and all things metal. It was all a mystery to Peter. He didn't know squat about cars, hell he hadn't even bothered to learn how to drive. He didn't need to in New York City.

Peter watched as Tony rolled out from underneath the car, obviously singing along with the song and banging his head as he reached for another tool, then maneuvered himself back under the vehicle. Peter couldn't hear Mr. Stark singing, the music was too loud, but it was fascinating to observe the man unnoticed. He was seeing a completely different side of Tony he could never have imagined. Who knew the criminal mob boss, was also an eccentric billionaire that liked to work on cars. Not Peter.

Peter saw a couch in the corner and decided he might as well sit down. He walked into the room and was surprised when the dogs bounded ahead of him and started leaping all over Tony's legs. Peter heard a shout of HEY. Then saw Tony roll out from underneath the car to look up at the two excited dogs, who immediately upon getting access, started licking Mr. Stark's face.

"Alright, Alright down Dum-E, U. I told you two to watch Peter what are you do…." Mr. Stark's voice trailed off as he looked around the room to see Peter standing awkwardly by the door.

Stark crooked a smile and got off the floor to hit something on a table. The music suddenly stopped.

"You're awake. Sorry sometimes I lose track of time down here otherwise I would have been up there when you woke up." Stark sounded, nervous? No, he couldn't be he was Mr. Stark. Peter shook it off; he must be hearing things.

"I got hungry, Sir," Peter explained showing the apple core still clutched in his fingers.

"Well, I'm glad you found something to eat. Want anything else?"

Peter shook his head.

"Alright." Tony looked around the room then pointed to the couch. "Hang out there for a bit while I finish this."

Peter walked over after tossing his apple core in the trash and carefully curled up with his feet tucked under him and his elbow on the arm with his chin resting in the palm of his hand. Stark looked down at the dogs then pointed at Peter.

"Guard."

The dogs immediately obeyed, and one jumped up on the couch with him and put their head in his lap while the other lay directly in front of the sofa. Peter watched curiously as Stark went back to the table and turned back on the music then slid under the car once more.

The music itself felt a lot like Mr. Stark; it was loud with a strong bass that pounded through the room. If Peter was deaf, he would still be able to tell the music was playing because he could feel the beat vibrating through his chest, The lyrics themselves, when Peter listened to them sounded almost sad.

Peter gently rubbed the ears of the dog in his lap; the dog nestled his head deeper into Peter's lap and sighed in pleasure. Peter smiled down at the creature; he liked these dogs. He continued to idly stroke the animal's head while he watched Tony.

The man seemed to flit from thing to thing. One second he was under the vehicle, then he was popping the hood and investigating the inside of the engine to tinker with this or that. It was rather mesmerizing to watch; Mr. Stark's hands were so sure, there was no slip-up or mistimed move. Everything was controlled and efficient. If Stark weren't well Tony Stark, Peter would say the actions were graceful.

But Stark wasn't soft, or graceful; he was all hard lines as he worked bare-chested and just in his pajama pants. Peter watched the play of muscle as Mr. Stark did something that seemed to need a little more physical force to do. At least he had been right about how Mr. Stark earned those muscles; it was apparent he did everything down here himself without the help of others.

Stark reminded Peter of the peace he received when he went to the rooftop of some building in New York City with his camera and took pics of the city. It was always so invigorating yet calming to be up there with the wind and the pigeons and nothing else. It soothed his soul.

Peter was interrupted out of his reverie when a man he hadn't seen before walked into the room. The man had on one of those old fashioned butler suits. He looked like Batman's Alfred with his rigid posture and glasses. The Only difference was this man was about thirty years younger and had black hair. He looked like he was in his mid-thirties give or take a few years. Definitely younger than Tony.

Stark didn't seem to notice the man, but then again he hadn't reacted when Rhodes had come barging into the office yesterday either. The man stood there waiting for a minute then pointedly went and turned off the music when he realized he was being ignored. Tony looked up disgruntled.

"What do you want Jarvis?"

"I leave for two days to take some personal time with my mother, and I come back to find that things have gone to heck in my absence." The man, who Peter assumed was named Jarvis, said with a subtle British accent and a somewhat miffed look.

"Yea well this is why you don't leave very often." Tony snipped back.

"Obviously, sir. What room would you like me to set up for your new guest?" Jarvis replied looking pointedly to where Peter was sitting on the couch with the dogs around him.

"There's no need for that."

"Sir, there is every need," Jarvis said emphasizing each word as he straightened himself up to his full height. He was taller than Stark by a good three inches, but he was also much thinner.

"Jarvis, let it go," Tony replied, warning lacing his voice. Jarvis sighed audibly but finally nodded in acquiescence.

"Sir, have you eaten yet today?"

Stark sighed at the words and then shook his head.

"No, but I've been drinking." He seemed to be defending himself.

"Coffee does not count, Sir," Jarvis said pointedly then added. "I will fix brunch for you and your guest then shall I."

"Yea that will be fine J, thanks," Stark said distractedly as he was looking back down into the engine and tinkering with something.

Jarvis turned on his heel, and well, Peter would call it stomping, but the man seemed too well-bred to stomp out of a room. So the man planted his feet down more heavily than necessary with each step as he left.

Stark tinkered for another ten minutes or so before he sighed and grabbed a rag to wipe his hands.

"We should go get some food before J comes back even crankier." He looked over to Peter, "Come on."

Peter followed Tony, who was partially covered in car grime (Peter couldn't figure out if it was oil, grease, soot or something else.), while the dogs trailed behind them.  
They reached the kitchen to see Jarvis flipping pancakes out of a pan and onto a plate, while a fresh pile of scrambled eggs sat in a ceramic bowl, next to a plate of bacon, and fried potatoes. Peter's stomach growled.

"Sit." Mr. Stark pointed to a stool which was pulled up to the kitchen island. It was a clear command for Peter to plop his butt there. He did so with a slight hiss of discomfort; he wasn't going to argue with Stark, especially if there was food involved.

A plate was soon put in front of him, that Stark then proceeded to pile high with eggs, potatoes, bacon, and two pancakes.

"Eat," Stark commanded as he sat down beside Peter with his own plate piled high with food. The two dogs settled at their feet.

Peter didn't have to be told twice. He grabbed the fork that was offered to him and dug in with gusto. The food was incredible, the seasoning just right, there wasn't too much salt, and everything was hot without burning his tongue. He drank from the glass of orange juice that Jarvis had set as his elbow, then dug back into the food.

Peter hadn't realized how long it had been since he had gotten a good meal. The last meal he had had was two nights ago with Aunt May when they had had spaghetti night. Peter put down his fork and looked at his hands.

He missed Aunt May, a lot. He missed her warm hugs, her smile, and the soft way she spoke. A hand touched Peter's shoulder, and he looked up into Jarvis' eyes.

"Are you done with your meal, Mr. Parker?"

Peter looked back at his plate and saw that it was half empty, he had been starving before, but now, well he wasn't feeling all that hungry.

"Yea, thanks." He replied then smiled up at Jarvis and added. "It was delicious."

Peter went to get up but was stopped by a hard hand on his arm.

"Peter I didn't say you could get up, I told you to sit, now sit." The words were mild, but the meaning was clear.

Peter sunk down onto the seat once again, twitching at the feeling of his sore butt, and looked down at his hands and mumbled: "Yes, sir."

Tony grunted in response and went back to his food. Peter waited patiently as Mr. Stark cleared his plate then sipped at the coffee Jarvis had placed in front of him, while he looked at his phone. It took about 15 minutes in total before Stark sighed and got up from the stool. Peter waited having learned his lesson.

Stark was oddly picky about things. He hadn't minded when Peter had come downstairs on his own and found him, but when he was told to do something like sit and then tried to get up without permission, it was a no-no. The man was confusing, to say the least.

"Come on Peter; I have some work I need to do in my office." Stark started walking back down the hall towards the main foyer. Peter stiffly hopped off the stool and scurried to keep up. He also noticed that the dogs hadn't started following Mr. Stark until he did, interesting. They made there was back to the other side of the house to the locked door Peter had tried to open earlier.

Mr. Stark flipped a switch, and a thumb scanner slid out of the wall. He placed his thumb on it to be scanned then the door clicked open. Peter followed Mr. Stark into the room; it was the same as it was when he had woken up there tied up in the corner yesterday. Peter wondered if the reason he wasn't tied up was because of the two dogs beside him. He liked this better, the dogs were nice, and he wasn't partially immobile, which had made him feel vulnerable.

Tony went and sat behind the desk, not caring that he was getting oil and other kinds of car grime on the good leather from his naked skin, while Peter just stood awkwardly in the room trying to figure out where he should be. Mr. Stark looked up at him, then frowned.

Peter watched confusedly as Stark got up from the desk chair and grabbed a folder and the laptop that were on the desk. The man moved over to a comfortable looking armchair that had a side table next to it. He set his things down on it then grabbed a pillow off the couch and set it on the floor in front of the armchair. Mr. Stark then sat down in the chair, again not seeming to care about his state of undress or griminess.

"Come here, Peter."

Peter hesitantly walked over to Mr. Stark, unsure of what was being asked of him. He stopped a few feet from the man.

"Peter, sit down on the pillow with your back to the chair for me." Tony's voice was calm and reassuring; still, Peter wasn't so sure about this.

"Dum-E, U, go lay down." Peter watched as the obedient dogs went and settled somewhere else around the room. One jumped up on the couch and the other settled in the corner where the pillow Peter had used yesterday was still lying.

He must have hesitated too long because Mr. Starks face hardened.

"I won't ask again, Peter."

"Yes, Sir. " Peter lowered himself to the pillow gingerly and turned around, so his back was facing the chair. He held himself in a tight ball, afraid he would move and bump into Stark's leg. The Position was painful on his bruised behind, but he tried not to think about it.

Mr. Stark sighed and put his hands on Peter's shoulders, pulling him until his back was resting against the front of the chair and his right side was against Mr. Stark's left leg. Stark then nudged the left side of Peter's head until he was forced to rest the right side of his face against Tony's thigh. Mr. Stark's hand left Peter's head after a warning tightening that clearly meant don't move. Peter felt it as Mr. Stark shifted to put the laptop on his lap and could hear the clack of keys as the man began typing.

Peter slowly relaxed his tight as a bowstring, muscles when he realized Mr. Stark didn't require him to do anything else. The position hurt his back, but it wasn't too bad. The boy gently relaxed his death grip on his knees and allowed them to drop down and his legs to stretch out in front of him. He made sure to keep his head where it was. He didn't want another punishment so soon, especially after last night.

They stayed like that for ten minutes, Peter's head resting against Mr. Stark's thigh and his hands curled loosely in his lap. Peter almost jumped when he felt Stark's hand start to stroke through his tousled hair. The action seemed almost absent-minded like when Peter was petting the dog's head in his lap in the workshop. It had that same movement of partially distracted by something else.

The hand traveled across his scalp skillfully, rubbing with just the right amount of pressure and in just the right places to finally rid Peter of the crying headache he had since this morning's weep-fest. While other times the fingers skated through his locks to gently remove tangles and to give that pleasant sensation of having someone else playing with your hair.

The hand slowly traveled down to his neck to give him the most wonderfully gentle massage. Peter unconsciously turned his face into Mr. Stark's thigh so those glorious fingers could have better access.

He didn't know how long those fingers stroked his skin; all he knew was that sitting there was like heaven under that touch. He drifted in a haze of sensual pleasure as the fingers darted between light ticklish touches up and down his neck and head and harder massaging touches that loosened everything up.

****  
Tony watched Peter mesmerized as the boy practically moaned into his thigh, the laptop and work forgotten. He had known Peter was highly sensitive to touch; this was obvious when it came to the punishments. The boy had no pain tolerance whatsoever but this.

Tony could picture the boy under his hands as he skimmed his fingers down the boys front and played with his nipples. How pretty he would look when Tony grabbed his dick for the first time. And when Tony got the thing in his mouth, Peter would be screaming in ecstasy. It made Tony hard just thinking about it.

The best part was Tony didn't think Peter realized how wanton he looked right now. From the way the boy moved his neck and head to allow Tony better access to the spots the boy wanted touched but kept his head and body in contact with Tony's legs the whole time like he had been told. The boy was a joy.

So what if both Rhodey and J disapproved. Their jobs were to do what Tony wanted not to judge him. Tony was in control of this, just like he was in control of Peter. He got to decide when Peter ate and slept. Tony got to determine when the boy received pleasure or pain.

What had nearly killed him was seeing Peter walking into his workshop wearing his clothes that looked two sizes too big on him. That feeling of possessive pleasure that had run down his spine at the site of it had startled him. But now seeing the boy kneeling so pleasurably at his feet, it all felt right.

Poor Peter, he had stumbled onto the devil, and the devil kept what he saw as his. And Peter was his.


	5. Chapter 5

Peter wasn't sure how long the haze of ecstasy lasted, but it was interrupted by a groan from Mr. Stark.

"I love the sounds you make when you're being pleasured." Tony's voice was full of lust.

Peter realized he had been moaning and whimpering obscenely into Mr. Stark's leg. He jerked back and out from underneath Mr. Starks fingers and fell back, his hands reflexively reached out behind him and caught him before he landed hard on his bruised back. Peter's partial hard-on he hadn't noticed he was sporting vanished completely.

Tony leaned down and grabbed the front of Peter's borrowed shirt. He pulled Peter back towards him, so he was once again leaning against him. Peter was tense and uncomfortable, wanting to pull away even though Mr. Stark wasn't touching him again.

Unfortunately, it wasn't two minutes before Stark's hand again came down to stroke his head. Peter tried to stay put, but he couldn't handle it and jerked back out of reach.

"Peter come back here."

The command was evident, but Peter shook his head. He just couldn't be touched by that hand right now; it made him feel so out of control.

"Please, Sir." He begged Mr. Stark.

"No." was Tony's resounding answer.

Peter tried to force his body to move back towards Stark, but he was unable to force himself to move. He was shaking, and tears welled as he struggled internally.

Mr. Stark watched the internal struggle dispassionately and waited to see what decision Peter would make. Peter wanted to be able to return to where he had been sitting before, but there was only so much of himself he could give before he lost himself entirely.

Peter firmed his resolve and watched Stark's eyes harden when he saw what decision Peter had come to.

"Fine. We will do this another way." Stark set his work aside and got up from the chair and headed back to his desk. He rummaged through a drawer and pulled out some rope.

Peter didn't like the look of this, and the fear got the better of him. He crawled behind the armchair and huddled there. Peter heard Mr. Stark sigh when he saw Peter's change of position.

Stark grabbed Peter's hair and pulled the boy out from behind the chair. Peter grabbed Stark's hand to try and keep his hair from being pulled out at the roots. He whimpered as he was dragged back to the pillow, this time he was sitting between Mr. Stark's legs.

Stark grabbed his arms pulled them both behind his back so Peter's head was thrown forward and he was bent at the waist. Stark started tying his arms together so that Peter's elbows down to his hands were covered in immovable rope.

Stark unceremoniously shoved Peter onto his side and grabbed his ankles. Peter whimpered as his movement was restricted more and more.

His legs were then bent back and his ankles tied to his hands, so he was in the hogtie position, laying on the floor on his chest. He had to turn his head awkwardly to the side to keep his nose from grounding into the rug. The whole thing was uncomfortable, to say the least.

Peter heard Stark get up and maneuver around the room. He heard a light switch click and the sound of running water then the returning step of Tony's feet.

Stark reached down and maneuvered Peter onto to his side so he could lift the boy bridal style and placed him on his lap as he sat back in the seat. Stark then propped his feet up on the coffee table in front of him so he could more easily support the kid. Peter couldn't shift or change the position except cuddle closer into Stark's now clean chest or fear falling off. He stayed rigid, not doing either. He didn't want to snuggle closer nor did he want to fall.

Stark grunted and shifted Peter in his arms, so the boy's face was pressed against the man's upper chest and right shoulder. Starks' right arm was draped casually around the boy to keep him from falling, while the left arm reached for the side table and grabbed the folder lying there he placed it on Peter's lap and stomach, using the boy as a table.

Peter quickly realized that this was a punishment of sorts, by rejecting the man's touch he was now bound and unable to escape the contact. It was better being bound and not having a choice. Then he didn't have to think about whether he was allowing this or not. He relaxed his body allowing himself to be cradled in Stark's arm while the man worked.

They stayed liked that for a bit before Stark's right hand came up and gently rubbed along Peter's exposed thigh and arm. Peter tensed but again; there was nothing he could do to stop the touch, so he just relaxed in the hold and let it happen.

"Good boy" Stark murmured in his ear as he felt Peter relax into the touch.

They stayed like that for the rest of the morning and into the afternoon. At some point, Peter fell asleep. He wasn't sure when, but he was startled awake by the slamming of the door. He jumped startling Tony who caught him in his secure grip to keep the boy from falling off his lap.

Rhodes strolled in the room fuming. Stark's hand ran soothingly down Peter's side saying without words that everything was ok. Peter hated how much he trusted that touch, but was also grateful for the reassurance; he had never seen James Rhodes so angry before.

"Tony we need to talk, now."

"Then talk," Tony answered calmly as he closed the folder he had been looking at and rubbed soothing circles on Peter's hip.

"Alone," James said pointedly as he motioned to the tied boy sitting in Tony's lap.

"Peter won't say anything will you baby boy?" Stark asked Peter.

"No, sir," Peter responded.

"Good boy," Stark praised him and kissed him on the head. "See? Now, what's got you in a tizzy Rhodey?"

Rhodes glowered at Stark but sighed as he flopped down on the couch next to one of the dogs.

"It's the Howling Commandos; they were the ones that leaked the information about the raid."

"WHAT!" Peter was sure that Mr. Stark would have launched himself to his feet if it wasn't for the fact that Peter was sitting on his lap. "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT CAPTAIN DOING! HOW THE FUCK DID HE EVEN FIND OUT WE WERE RUNNING A RAID ON THE MANDARINS?"

"Well I tracked the information through that Ned kid, and he led me to one of his friends who led me to another friend whose cousins with Dum Dum who apparently leaked the info out to get it to the police so we would get caught. We're lucky it was just the kid showing up and not Fury."

"I'm not worried about Nick he will just send Coulson down to harass Potts, and she can handle him. I want to know what angle Rogers' is playing. We usually stay clear of each other but this? He's throwing down a line in the sand and daring me to cross it. I won't be played by him."

Rhodes snorted. "It's not like we can do much, their organization is roughly the same size as ours, there's not much we can do against them currently. We don't have a plan, nor do we know what they're after."

"The difference is what they deal in. You know Rogers deals mainly in drugs and gets most of his money from his specialty concoction the super soldier serum. And we stay on the weapons side of things. No, I think this is more personal."

As the two men talked about things that went way over Peter's head, Stark continued to touch Peter, jumping between circles, strokes and gently squeezing. It seemed to be more about calming Stark down than reassuring Peter.

"Well with the history the two of you have I can see why it's personal," Rhodes replied. "You know he's boning Barnes right?"

Stark Sighed "Yea, I know they're boning, they were boning before Rogers' and I met."

Rhodes burst out laughing. "Seriously why the fuck did you get involved in all that anyway?"

Stark growled. "That is none of your fucking business. Right now we need to figure out how the fuck the Howling Commandos knew about the raid."

"Well we obviously have a leak, Someone's a no good traitor, and that's why I'm in a tizzy as you put it. Cause it's gonna take me most of the day to plug that leak."

"Well do you have any leads? I can start working on it too. I take this whole thing rather personal. You know how I feel about loyalty."

"Eh I have a few leads, but there's no point in you doing grunt work, you've got enough on your plate. If I need it, I'll get Pepper to help me."

"Alright." Stark replied, "But I want to be in on the kill."

"Of course Tones, You want em brought here or.."

"Here, this is personal; we will deal with it personal like."

Rhodes nodded and patted the dog beside him before getting up and leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

"Sir?"

"Yes, Peter?"

"Is everything ok, Sir?"

Stark sighed and rested his forehead against the top of Peter's head.

"Yes, things are just a little intense right now with the leak of information, but it will be dealt with as always."

Peter almost felt sorry for Tony. It must be hard for him to be betrayed by someone that he trusted. This reminded Peter of when he betrayed Ned. It made him feel so guilty to do the same thing to his best friend that was done to Mr. Stark.

Peter sniffed back the tears that were building in the back of his throat, as he thought about his best friend. Stark must have noticed Peter's sniff because he lifted his head off the top of Peter's and lifted the boy's chin so he could see his face.

"What's wrong, baby boy?"

Peter tried not to look into Mr. Stark's face, but he couldn't avoid it.

"Just thinking about Ned," Peter mumbled.

"You know you didn't betray him. I'm one of the best interrogators there are; you would have told me no matter what." Stark, said comfortingly as he rubbed Peters' cheek.

Peter shook his head in denial. It didn't matter if Mr. Stark was the best he had still given up Ned. He had still broken his bond of loyalty to his best friend.

"Shhh. shhh, it's ok." Peter hadn't realized he had begun to cry until he heard Mr. Stark's words.

His sniffles became hiccups as Stark rocked him and cooed to him. Telling him how it was all going to be ok and it wasn't his fault. He left butterfly kisses intermittently on Peter's head and held him until Peter had cried himself out.

"Do you want some water, baby boy?" Tony asked.

Peter nodded into Tony's naked chest. And gave a shuddering sigh as he finally came down from the high of emotions he had been running on. Stark reached for his phone and made a phone call.

"Yea, yea I know, but this is a big house can you bring lunch and plenty of water for Peter and me? We're in the office, thanks J." Stark clicked off the phone. "Here let's get you untied so you can eat some lunch ok?"

Peter nodded his head, still resting comfortably in Mr. Starks arms. Stark reached behind him and started to undo the knots he had tied gently. They slowly loosened allowing Peter to relax his arms and pull them back in front of him and his legs to stretch out over the arm of the chair.

Theoretically, he was now free to get off of Stark's lap and put some physical distance between them, but he was honestly too tired and too comfortable. Stark's chest was warm under his cheek, and it was nice to be held by someone.

Peter felt so contradictory. One moment he was running away from Stark's touch the next he was reaching for it. It was so much easier when that choice was taken away from him, like when he was tied up. Then he didn't have to think about it; he could just be.

His thoughts were interrupted by Jarvis entering the room rolling a cart covered in food. There were sandwiches and salads; it looked like a Sunday lunch Aunt May would put together after church for her church friends.

"Your food sir," Jarvis said.

"Thank you J; you're the best."

Tony helped Peter get to his feet and walk over to where the food was. Peter's stomach growled, and he grabbed what looked like a chicken salad sandwich. He groaned as the flavors burst into his mouth. This was the best chicken salad sandwich he had ever had. Jarvis was a fantastic cook.

"Thank you, Jarvis, this is delicious." Jarvis preened under Peter's praises then glared at Stark.

"At least someone appreciates my cooking skills," Jarvis said in reproof

"Hey, I hired you because of your cooking skills." Tony defended himself.

"No, you hired me because my family has always served your family; I just happen to be a good cook, sir. You could always show your appreciation a bit more."

"I pay you an excellent salary!" Tony shouted back.

Jarvis sniffed. "It isn't always about the money you know."

"Oh for the love of- fine, you're a great cook Jarvis thank you." Stark gave in.

"Better." Jarvis nodded then left the room closing the door quietly behind him.

Peter looked at the dogs who were still curled up on the couch and in the corner respectively.

"Sir?"

"Yes Peter," said Tony biting into his own BLT sandwich.

"What are your dog's names?"

"Oh well the one lying on the floor with the black tufted tail that's U and the one laying on the couch with the ripped ear is Dum-E."

"What's with the weird names. They're not just things or dummies."

"They work for them and are easier for me to remember. Besides they don't care, ain't that right boys?"

Both dogs looked up and barked at that.

"Alright come on you two you can have leftovers."

Dum-E and U bounded over to where Stark was standing and eating his other sandwich half.

Peter thought it was kind of funny that just like a little kid, Stark didn't eat his crust, instead, he tossed one crust at Dum-E and the other at U. Both pieces were snatched out of the air and gobbled within seconds.

Both creatures turned expectant eyes onto Peter waiting for him also to give them his crust. Peter smiled at them both but shook his head. Unlike Mr. Stark, he actually had eaten his crust.

"Go lie down both of you. You got your treat."

The dogs slunk dejectedly back to their spots.

"I have a little more work to do. Can I trust you to sit in my lap without me having to tie you up again?"

Peter sipped from one of the glasses of water that had been put on the tray by Jarvis. He thought about Mr. Stark's request. Could he sit on his lap and make it a choice. Could he be under that touch willingly? Peter was grateful that Tony gave him the opportunity to think. Mr. Stark could be patient.

Peter decided he'd risk his psyche, he was tired of the ropes and the restriction it caused. He didn't want to be sore.

"I'll be good, sir."

Stark's face lit up, and he smiled one of those genuine smiles that caused butterflies to light up and swirl around in Peter's stomach.

Tony returned to his spot in the armchair and Peter followed slowly. Mr. Stark opened his arms invitingly, and Peter climbed into the man's lap curling up as he had been before. But this time he rested his right hand on Stark's sternum and closed his eyes sighing. Stark trailed his fingers over the boy's shoulder and arm. And reached for his folder once more. Peter snuggled in closer, getting more comfortable.

He closed his eyes and let his mind drift as he listened to Stark's breathing and felt the beat of the man's strong heart.

Tony watched as the boy cradled in his arms drifted off to sleep once more. The kid was so cute snuggled up against him like that without a care in the world.

He knew this had been hard on Peter and some part of him almost wanted to let the boy go. Almost. But the rest of him was too selfish. He wanted Peter too much, and he would do anything to keep him. Besides this wasn't a bad life — plenty of food, time to sleep, cuddles, no stress.

Peter could be happy here. Tony just had to show him how. The kid needed a bath, and he still needed to apologize to Rhodey and Pepper formally. Maybe those could happen after Tony finished off his work for the day.

Tony's thoughts wandered back to what Rhodey had said about the Howling Commandos. It was definitely bad news that they had found out about their raid against the Mandarins.

The Howling Commandos, in general, were a dangerous group. They all seemed to pump themselves full of that SSS stuff (Super soldier serum). It was a deadly concoction of testosterone, steroids and other shit. It came with practically zero side effects and made the user feel almost invincible. It upped a person's strength too by pounding out adrenaline to the muscles causing people to be able to lift twice what they usually could. It also made people more aggressive and hornier.

The stuff was invented by some German scientist named Dr. Abraham Erskine. The one downside of the whole thing is if your body wasn't compatible with the stuff it was like taking in pure poison. Most of the time the person never made it to the hospital.

There wasn't much he could do about it now but wait and see, and cuddle the boy in his arms.


	6. Chapter 6

Peter stirred and shivered. He snuggled closer into the warmth beside him. He hated being cold when he was sleeping. He reached around him looking for his blanket but discovered he was on someone's lap and there wasn't a blanket he could bury under.

Peter shivered again and wrapped his arms around himself and tried to burrow into the warm chest in front of him. He heard a chuckle above him and warm arms wrapping around him.

"Cold?"

Peter nodded and nuzzled sleepily into the warm chest.

"How about we get you warmed up then?"

Peter nodded again and sleepily yawned. He wasn't quite awake yet, and he just wanted to go back to sleep. It had been a while since he was allowed to sleep this much. He was always so busy trying to juggle school, work and time with Aunt May that he usually only got a few hours every night, though sometimes no sleep at all.

It was nice to feel fully rested again and not have to worry about anything except sleeping and eating. Tony still really stressed him out, and he was worried about Aunt May and Ned, but he couldn't bring himself to care about any of that. Right now what mattered was sleep.

He vaguely felt Tony get up and carry him out of the room and back up the stairs. He heard doors open and felt Tony walking and could also hear the padding of the dog's feet. He hoped Tony was carrying him to bed so he could go back to sleep, warm under the covers with the dogs there to snuggle with him again.

Instead, Peter felt Tony kneel by something and heard the start of running water. He looked blearily over his shoulder to see that they were in the master bathroom and Tony had turned on the faucet to fill up the tub.

"This will help you get warm and soothe the bruises. It's ok; just relax, I'll take care of all this." Mr. Stark murmured soothingly into Peter's hair. Peter closed his eyes and rested his head back onto Stark's chest.

Bed would have been better than a bath, but a bath wasn't bad. It would ease the discomfort of Peter's back, and it would warm his chilled skin. Tony lifted Peter back up and set the boy down so that he was sitting on the counter, blearily looking around.

Tony reaches for the shirt he was wearing and gently lifted it over his head. Peter allowed it to happen, still thinking about the warm water he was about to crawl into. He was snapped out of his sleepy haze when Tony reached for the gym shorts.

Peter grabbed Tony's hands and stopped the older man from stripping him out of his clothes again.

"Peter, don't fight me on this. I just want to get you into the warm bath. I won't do anything other than put you into the tub."

Tony waited patiently, letting Peter think. Peter considered his options but he really didn't want to be hit again, and the more he fought, the longer it would take for him to get into the steaming bath. Maybe he could ask for an alternative?

"I can do it, Sir."

"I know you can, but I want to do it. Now will you let me, or do I have to do this the hard way?"

Peter's shoulders slumped in defeat. He didn't really have a choice. He slowly let go of Mr. Stark's wrists and allowed the man to lift him off the counter and undo the knot that had been tied to keep his gym shorts up. When the tie had been loosened, the pants couldn't stay on his hips anymore, and they slid to the floor, leaving the boy standing awkwardly, naked in front of Tony.

Tony lifted the boy again and carried him over to the bath and gently lowered him into the steaming water. Peter shivered in pleasure as the warm water touched his skin. He sunk into the giant tub until his nose was just barely above the water. He almost groaned in delight at being surrounded by the overwhelming heat.

He watched through slit eyes as Mr. Stark walked over to the sink and opened up the cabinet below, pulling out some bottles and a clean washcloth. Stark walked back over and poured some soap into the water, which immediately caused bubbles to erupt from the water still flowing into the tub.

Stark turned off the water and put some soap onto the washcloth he held. He dipped the cloth into the water and had Peter lean forward so that he could rub gentle circles into his skin.

Stark was cautious not to aggravate the bruises along Peter's back. Even Peter's butt felt better even though he was sitting on it. There had to be something that Mr. Stark had put in the bath to help ease all of his aches and pains.

Next, Stark moved Peter to lay back and started to wash his hair. He started doing that irresistible massage again that turned Peter to mush. Peter suppressed a groan of ecstasy as doing that before had been embarrassing enough. He gritted his teeth to keep any noises from escaping.

However, it was too easy to relax under that touch, and he ended up forgetting to keep his mouth shut. He let out the tiniest moan of pleasure, then quickly clapped his hand over his mouth, shooting out from underneath Tony's hands and curling into himself. This was the second time he had allowed himself to enjoy affection given to him by Mr. Stark vocally.

"It's ok, Peter." Mr. Stark said gently as he rested a hand on Peter's shoulder.

Peter shook his head and felt hot tears well up in his eyes. What the fuck was wrong with him? He didn't want to enjoy Mr. Stark's touch so much. It was one thing to appreciate it, but another to be moaning in ecstasy. He buried his face in his hands; he couldn't stand himself and didn't want to face Stark right now.

"Peter, it feels good, and that's ok. You're just expressing that." Stark said soothingly.

Peter curled into a tighter ball and turned his back to Mr. Stark. Stark sighed and rubbed soothing circles along Peter's back in a comforting motion. All Peter wanted to do was shake the man off, but he couldn't bring himself to have that grounding touch end.

What the fuck was wrong with him? He wondered again. This man had punished him and had hurt him, but he also longed for the man's fingers in his hair. He enjoyed being held in his lap, and he liked being touched by him. It was all so messed up. He needed to get out of here.

"Sir, can I get out of the tub now?" He asked tentatively after getting his emotions back under control a little.

"Peter, your hair is still covered in soap, and you should soak longer to help heal your bruises," Stark said reasonably.

"Then, can I be alone, Sir?"

"I don't think that's a good idea right now. Let's just wash your hair and then you can get out and sleep a little bit before dinner."

Peter figured Stark wouldn't allow him to be alone, but it was worth a shot. He allowed himself to uncurl a little bit and give Stark access to his head once more. Stark took a cup that was beside the tub and filled it with water so he could gently rinse out Peter's hair.

Peter clenched his fists tightly around his knees as Tony finished cleaning out the soap and pulled the plug out.

"Do you want to hop in the shower for me and rinse off any remaining soap?"

Peter nodded, climbed out of the tub and walked over to the large shower that took up a whole corner of the room. The shower itself was big enough to fit ten people and had five different shower heads. He looked around, confused at all the knobs and to figure out which one to use so that he could rinse himself off.

He heard a chuckle from behind him, and Tony walked into the shower to turn one of the handles, then one of the shower heads immediately started pouring out hot water. Peter moved under it and let the spray pound his sore back. The pain felt good; it helped clear his head from his weird emotions and feelings. He wasn't sure how long he stood under the spray, but he thought he heard Tony's voice, then felt gentle fingers grab his arm and pull him out from underneath the spray and into a warm towel.

The towel was so big it engulfed the boy with a soft embrace. Stark gently rubbed it against Peter's skin for a while to make sure he was fully dry, even rubbing down his legs but avoiding his genitalia.

Peter would give one thing to Stark; he was extremely respectful when it came to the sexual stuff. He never touched Peter's butt unless for punishment and avoided touching anything that could be considered blatantly sexual.

It was Peter who was finding sexual pleasure in the non-sexual touches. He tried to ignore the fact that he had gotten a partial hard-on while having his head rubbed, but he couldn't stop thinking about his reaction. What did that say about him? He had known he was bi since he was young, but this wasn't about sexual orientation. A small voice in his head confirmed he was attracted to his captor, a man he would never choose to be around. This whole relationship was forced, but it was hard to remember this when Stark's touch felt so good.

"Come on, let's get you in bed," Tony said as he gently tugged on Peter's hand and led the boy back to the bedroom. They walked over to the large bed and Peter was directed to climb under the covers. The boy moved to the center of the bed and curled up on his side. He was immediately engulfed by Stark's warmth from behind.

"You've been so good today, I'm so proud of you Peter," Stark whispered to him as he nuzzled his hair. "My good boy. Sleep for me, then we can have dinner. But right now, sleep."

The whispered words seemed to wrap his mind in warmth and a feeling of safety. He could deal with all this later, but right now, he needed to sleep.

Tony listened as the boy's breathing evened out. It excited the man that Peter responded so eagerly to his touch. It was obvious that the boy didn't want to feel that way, but it was still gratifying to know that the boy's body sought out his touch.

Seeing Peter naked had taken a lot of will power that Tony wasn't even expecting to need. He never imagined how much he would want to kiss someone until today. He wanted so badly to swallow that little sound Peter had made while he washed the boy's hair. The darkest part of him wanted to trail his fingers down to the boy's cock and take it into his own hands. He had wanted to watch as the boy came undone under his fingers looking up at him so helplessly.

But he needed to be patient. He had to wait until Peter was begging for it.

He sat on his throne and waited for the news that would fill him with joy. He couldn't wait to destroy Stark's little empire and make that man his toy. The last time they had met, Stark had humiliated him in front of his men, and it had been almost impossible to rebuild his reputation. That wouldn't happen again.

It was now Stark's turn to be a sniveling, humiliated wreck. He would take what the man most cared about and would destroy it right in front of him.

"Sir?" He turned his head to look at the man that had entered and was kneeling by his throne. "I have news of Stark."

"I'm listening."

"It appears he has found himself a boy…"

"Are they lovers?" He asked curiously.

"It seems that way. He took the kid to his private mansion and hasn't been seen in two days."

"Well, if Stark has found his happiness, we will just have to take it and destroy it, won't we?" He smiled menacingly and laughed at his plans for the great Tony Stark.


	7. Chapter 7

Peter groaned as Stark gently coaxed the boy awake.

"Come on Peter, It's time for dinner, and you still need to apologize to Pepper and Rhodey."

"Five more minutes," Peter responded, pulling the covers over his head and curling into a tight ball.

"No, food. Come on, Peter, let's get you dressed."

Peter groaned but threw off the covers and rolled out of bed. He stretched, feeling the kinks in his neck and back work their way out.

He heard an intake of breath and looked behind him to see Tony looking at him with eyes that were blown wide. If he took a guess, he would say that the man was aroused. Stark looked away, blushing slightly.

"Sorry, I...Let's get dressed." Stark moved towards the bathroom and probably towards the closet within.

Peter sat down on the bed and covered his lap, thinking about the look he had seen in Mr. Stark's eyes. That was definitely arousal and interest, which meant he wasn't the only one affected. It was actually good to know, and it helped Peter feel more in control.

Stark returned wearing a t-shirt and a pair of jeans from the bathroom and tossed a pair of gym shorts and an oversized t-shirt at Peter.

"Here, you can wear those until we can get you some clothes."

"Sir?"

"Yes, Peter?"

Peter slowly pulled the shirt over his head as he thought about how best to phrase his question.

"What am I doing here, Sir?"

Peter looked up at Stark; he was so confused. He didn't understand what was expected of him or what he was now supposed to do with his life.

His life before hadn't been perfect, but whose life is? He had been happy, but now, even after one day, he knew things would be different for the rest of his life.

Stark sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. It looked like he was going to answer but then shook his head.

"Get dressed, Pete."

"But, Sir?" Peter pushed.

"No, Peter. Now put your clothes on and get downstairs." Stark's voice had hardened, and his eyes turned stony.

Peter's shoulders slumped, Tony wouldn't be answering any of those questions today. Peter pulled on the shorts and tied them within an inch of their life, then followed Mr. Stark down the stairs with Dum-E and U trailing behind.

They made it down to the kitchen to see that the table in the corner had been set for four, and both James and Pepper were seated, waiting for them to arrive.

Pepper was sipping on a glass of white wine while Rhodes held a beer. They looked to be talking about something pretty serious but stopped when they saw the two enter.

"I was wondering if you were going to join us, Tony," Pepper said as she looked at the two.

"Of course. Peter has something to say to you both." Stark nudged Peter forward so that he was facing Pepper and James.

Peter cleared his throat, not sure what he was supposed to say but figured he'd wing it and see what happened.

"On your knees," Stark said before he could speak.

Peter shivered at the act of humiliation he was supposed to perform, not only in front of Tony but also these two relative strangers.

Peter looked around the room for any sympathy or help, but both adults sat and waited silently, showing no emotion one way or another.

Peter sank slowly down to his knees in supplication. He looked up but found he couldn't mean anyone's eyes.

"Now, say you're sorry, why you're sorry and tell them why it won't ever happen again." Stark directed.

The boy looked at the floor, unable to stand looking any higher. His face was flushed red with humiliation.

"I...I'm sorry that I disturbed you both last night, it was wrong of me to wake you like that. I have learned my lesson that running away does not solve anything. I'm truly sorry." Peter had a bit of a stuttering start, but his voice got stronger as he went.

"Good boy," Tony said as his hand came down and gently stroked Peter's head.

Peter leaned into the touch gratefully, knowing that the words signified that the humiliation was over.

"Now, let's eat. I'm starved." Stark clapped his hands together as he approached the table.

Peter stayed kneeling on the floor unsure if he was allowed to sit at the table or remain where he was. He looked to Mr. Stark, searching for guidance.

"It's ok, Peter. You can come join us at the table. Your apology was perfect."

Peter smiled with relief. He had not only done well; he had been perfect.

Dinner went without a hitch; the three older adults talked about this and that, most of it going over Peter's head while he picked at his food.

He wasn't feeling all that hungry and honestly, he just wanted to go back to sleep. He was a little worried at all the sleeping he had been doing the last two days. It seemed like every time he should be awake; he was taking another nap.

Part of it felt like a sort of defense mechanism to the situation he was in. Peter had found that whenever he was stressed or anxious, his body would need a lot of sleep. When he was in high school and had had a pretty stressful week, he would sleep for 20 hours straight when the weekends came around. He missed it; it all stopped when he went to college and tried to work almost full time.

"Peter."

He heard his name distantly, and it took him a second to realize he had completely zoned out for a bit.

"Yes?" He looked up and around at the three people watching him.

"Peter, I called your name three times. It should not take you that long to respond, is that understood?" Stark reprimanded with a reproving look.

"Yes, Sir." Peter flushed in embarrassment. He was usually better about not zoning out in front of others.

"Now, as I was saying, I need to take care of some….business after dinner. I want you to go upstairs with the dogs and get some sleep. I won't be long. You look worn out."

"I'm pretty tired," Peter agreed.

Stark frowned and pressed the back of his hand to Peter's forehead.

"Are you feeling alright? Not sick or anything?" The concern was apparent in Stark's voice.

Peter, feeling petulant about Stark's sudden concern, shook off the touch.

"I'm fine." He said sullenly.

"Don't be rude Peter, or do we need to go over another lesson in manners?"

The warning was clear. Peter crossed his arms over his chest and slumped down into his seat.

"No, Sir." There was still a level of sullenness that Stark heard in his voice because the next thing Peter knew, he felt a sharp slap to the back of his head.

"That's one. Let's not get to three."

Peter flushed at the blow, especially in front of Pepper and James, but all the fight left him.

"Yes, Sir. I'm sorry." He added sincerely.

"I know you are," Tony said in a gentle voice. "Come on, let's get you to bed baby boy."

Peter pushed away from the table and followed Stark back up to the master bedroom.

Peter made a beeline for the bed when they got in the room.

"Peter, wait."

Peter turned to look at Tony, confused.

"Yes, Sir?"

Tony approached the boy and put his hands on the boy's arms.

"I know this has been hard for you. I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you and your attitude today. You've been such a good boy Peter. I've noticed that and am very appreciative." Tony leaned down and placed a kiss on the top of the boy's head.

Tears welled up in Peter's eyes at the praise. Tony's speech was like a balm covering and soothing all the stress and anxiety. Without thinking about it, Peter leaned into the touch and placed his head against the center of Tony's chest. The man slowly wrapped his arms around the boy and held him close in a loving embrace.

"My good boy." Tony murmured into Peter's ear.

"Thank you, Sir," Peter said fervently, letting his tears fall silently down his cheeks and into Tony's shirt.

Tony cuddled him a little longer and then sighed.

"I wish I could stay with you baby boy, but I have to get some work done tonight. Climb into bed for me. The dogs will watch over you until I return." Peter nodded and climbed into bed.

Tony looked at the dogs that had followed them around all day. He pointed at Peter and told them to guard.

Both dogs hopped up and curled around the boy, who was curled up on his side. One laid its head on his side the other on his feet. Peter felt warm and safe surrounded by them and gently slipped into sleep.

—-

Peter was lying in bed, waiting for Tony to return. He was restless and achy. The dogs had left hours ago leaving him alone in the bed. He shifted this way and that, trying to get comfortable.

He heard the door crack open and looked up to see Tony walk in wearing just his sleep pants. Peter watched as the man quietly approached the bed and climbed onto it. Instead of settling on his side and pulling Peter into his embrace like before, he crawled on top of Peter and cradled the boy's face in his hands. Peter's breath came out in little puffs across Stark's face as they stared at each other.

Stark bent down and kissed the boy with hot, wet lips. Peter moaned into the contact. He kissed Stark back desperately, wrapping his arms around the man and pulling him towards him. Stark groaned in response and lowered himself so that he was pushing Peter into the bed with his weight.

Peter trailed his fingers down Stark's back, tracing the muscles he found there. Stark's lips traveled down to leave a trail of wet kisses behind him as he found the boy's nipple, bare and available for him to suck. Peter ground his hips up into Stark's to get a little friction on his member, moaning as he did so. Stark felt so good. He was so aroused it was practically painful.

"Sir, please!" He begged, not really sure for what, but he needed something, and Stark was the only one that could provide it.

"Patience Peter, soon, so soon….."

—

Peter shot up in bed, his chest heaving and his dick hard as a rock and throbbing painfully.

One of the dog's heads nudged it's way into his lap, looking up at him with a worried expression. Peter hugged Dum-E's head to his chest, burying his face into the warm fur.

Peter shook as he started to react to the dream he had just had. Stark had kissed him, and he had wanted so much more from the man. He had wanted to be touched and taken by Stark. He would have done anything to feel that rush of pleasure course down his spine.

He was still so hard. Peter thought it would go away upon his waking, but it was still painfully there. He needed to get out of this bed. He needed out of this house. He wasn't going to run away, but maybe he could get away with a walk in the fresh, night air.

Peter jumped out of the bed, trying to ignore his straining cock. The cold of the outdoors would help. He looked around for a clock and finally noticed one on the nightstand, it read 11:23 pm. It wasn't too late, and he would have Dum-E and U with him. Stark couldn't argue with that, and even if he did, Peter just couldn't be in this room anymore, not without feeling like he was going to explode.

He quickly went into the closet and grabbed an oversized sweatshirt and a pair of slippers before heading out of the master bedroom and down the stairs. The dogs followed behind, happy to tag along. He made it to the front door and tried the handle. Peter was surprised when it turned easily for him. Peter poked his head out and felt the cold air practically steal his breath. Perfect.

Peter cautiously walked outside. He would do a quick walk around the house and then come back inside, and no one would be any wiser.

Peter made it halfway around the house before he heard a popping noise. He looked around confused, then terrified as he saw both dogs drop beside him. Peter didn't think, he just ran. There was another popping sound, and then the feeling of something hitting the back of his neck. He kept running. His vision started to blur and then darken until he could no longer see even his hand in front of his face, then he began to stumble. The last thing he remembered was falling forward into the sand below him; then there was nothing but blackness.

Tony sighed as he walked tiredly up the stairs to his bedroom. They had found the leak but didn't really get much out of him; the dude was so hopped up on SSS (Super Soldier Serum). Tony really hated that stuff.

He pushed the door open to his room, removing the tie he had put on with the three-piece suit he wore to intimidate people. He looked towards the bed, wanting to see Peter, but Peter was gone.


	8. Chapter 8

Peter groaned as he blearily opened his eyes, only to shut them quickly again. Not only was his head spinning, making him nauseous, but he'd also been partially blinded by the light shining directly into his face.

He tried to move out from underneath the light, but quickly discovered he couldn't move. He wasn't tied this time; instead, both of his hands and ankles had manacles that were attached to iron chains. It forced his body into a spread eagle position, shaped like an X.

If Peter weren't in such a dire predicament, he would be a lot more irritated about being tied again. He hadn't realized just how many different ways it was possible for someone to be bound, and how uncomfortable those positions could be.

Right now though, he was terrified. He had been kidnapped once again but by someone else. Peter had a feeling that they wouldn't be as nice as Tony had been.

Peter tried to find a way to turn his head so that the light wasn't blinding him, but it didn't seem to be working.

Peter decided to close his eyes tight and pay more attention to his other senses so that he could figure out his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was that he was still wearing his clothes, even the slippers. He also noticed that the room was dank smelled musty. The floor beneath him felt like concrete, and the cold of it seeped through his slippers to his toes.

He tugged on the chains to feel how much range of movement he had available to him. Peter quickly discovered the answer was not much if any. His feet were secured firmly with no wiggle room whatsoever. His arms could move an inch or two, but again there wasn't much maneuverability.

"So, you're finally awake." Peter jerked at the sound of a voice coming from somewhere in the room. He couldn't see them due to the light, but they sounded male and bored. "Cap will be pleased, though it beats me why he wants to talk to you, and won't just let me kill you."

Peter heard some footsteps and a door open, then close. Peter shivered in terror; this wasn't just the threat of torture; this was the threat of death. Then again, this wasn't the first time this week he had been faced with his mortality. When he first met Tony he had thought he was going to die, what was one more death threat in the grand scheme of things?

Besides, Peter had plans for his life, even if they were on hold now. He had goals and dreams that he wasn't going to let anyone crush, not Tony and not whoever this Cap person was.

The door opened again, and more footsteps sounded, followed by the shutting of the door.

"Hello Peter, how are you this morning?" A new voice spoke up; it was also male and sounded sickly sweet.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Peter asked instead of answering.

A tsking sound came from the corner of the room.

"Now that's not very polite of you. I bet Tony doesn't put up with that."

"You're not Tony," Peter shot back. He was so done being a pushover for dominant male bastards. It felt good standing up to someone even if the results were going to be painful. Also, this voice wasn't all that scary. The only thing that he feared were Tony's dark eyes; those were both scary and mesmerizing.

"You're right; I'm not Tony. I'm much worse."

Peter couldn't help the snort of amusement that escaped him at those words. The man snarled. Suddenly there was a face directly in front of him, startling a squeak out of Peter.

The man had blond hair in an old style haircut. If his face weren't so contorted in rage, Peter would have said the man in front of him was handsome. He had hard blue eyes, and his lips were turned up in a snarl.

"You have no idea who you just insulted, you little bitch." He growled, sounding extremely pissed off.

Peter just stared back, waiting for the punchline. Mr. Stark didn't make threats; he made promises and followed through on them. Peter was wondering if this Cap made threats or promises.

Cap growled again at Peter's lack of response and pulled his head back so that Peter could no longer see him.

"He's all yours, Barnes. Make it hurt. I'll be back when he's more pliant."

Peter heard the door open and then slam closed, followed by a chuckle.

That chuckle scared him. It was full of promise and malice. This man was going to hurt him, a lot.

The light flicked off, and Peter was plunged into darkness. He squinted, trying to get his eyes to adjust but it was pitch black. He shut them again, trying to calm the fear that was bubbling up in his stomach.

Peter felt rough hands grab his sweatshirt. Barnes tugged hard, and his sweatshirt was ripped in two down his body. This man was strong.

The sweatshirt was then ripped off completely, followed quickly by his shirt.

He heard a low whistle.

"It looks like someone has already had fun with your back." The voice was suddenly whispering in his ear. "Were you naughty?"

Peter flinched away from the sudden contact of hot air on his ear. He remained silent.

"So, that's how it's gonna be?" The voice breathed.

There was silence. And then…

CRACK!

Peter screamed bloody murder at the feeling of a hard impact along his back. It cut a strip on his back from right shoulder to left hip in one long line.

Another crack. Peter screamed in pain again; this one went from his left shoulder down to his right hip. Peter couldn't help the tears that fell from his eyes as he sobbed in agony. Whatever was hitting him hurt so bad.

When Tony had hit him, it hadn't felt like this. Yes, it hurt, but Tony wasn't seeking to cause permanent damage. This man was. This man wanted the pain to last for days or weeks afterward. He wanted to hurt people and probably got pleasure from doing so.

It took two more hits and more screaming on Peters part before the man chuckled and ran his hands down Peter's back. His hands were rough and made Peter shiver in disgust at the touch.

This wasn't like when Stark had interrogated him at all. All there was now was pain and fear, no soothing touch to curl into, just Peter alone with this pain and his tormentor.

"You bleed so easily," the voice murmured behind him, sounding gleeful.

It was then that Peter could feel hot liquid trickling down his back from where the strikes had landed. Those fingers dug into those spots, digging in mercilessly and causing Peter to whimper in pain.

The man behind seemed to be greatly delighted from this, because his fingers dug in more.

"Now, let's see about the front of you." Peter again shivered as the voice whispered in his ear.

Peter could hear footsteps moving, then nothing.

CRACK.

Peter screamed louder than he ever had before as the blow landed low across his abdomen. He sagged in his bonds, trying to curl in on himself, and trying desperately to protect himself against another blow.

CRACK.

Fire blossomed across his chest, and he felt the first trickles of blood flowing down his stomach.

That disgusting hand reached out and dig into the fresh wound, making Peter flinch and whimper in pain.

A dark chuckle was the only response Peter received.

His head hung down as he waited for the next blow to come. Instead, he felt hands grasp his hips. One hand felt normal, but the other felt cold and metallic. The man was in his personal space; they were almost touching chest to chest. That mouth was then by his ear again.

"You think you're ready to have some fun with the Cap?" The man's voice made him feel dirty and exposed. He shuddered.

He disappeared, and the light once again blinded Peter. He heard the man leave.

He waited, sagging from the manacles that were chafing his wrists and ankles. The irritation would leave blisters, if not worse.

Peter wasn't sure how long he waited. It was more than a few minutes, but he couldn't tell if it was thirty minutes or a few hours. Time didn't seem to exist, only the blinding light and the slow dripping of blood down his body.

Peter thought about Ned and how much he missed his best friend who would nerd out with him over LEGO sets. He thought about his aunt and her amazing, warm hugs that made him feel so safe. He thought about Dum-E and U, his loyal dog followers. He didn't know if they were dead or alive. He hoped they were ok.

Then Peter thought about Tony Stark. He thought about the good things and the bad things that had happened in the last two days because of that man. The punishments had hurt, and to his rational mind had been unfair. But Tony had also been kind to him. He had comforted him when he cried, made sure he ate food and drank water. He bathed him. Made him feel taken care of, cherished. Tony would never make him bleed.

He wondered if Tony had thought he had run away again, and how mad he would be. If Peter was honest, he liked Tony. The man was weird and eccentric, and a mob boss, but he obviously cared about Jarvis, Pepper, and Rhodes, and they liked him. Tony was so confusing to be around, but right now, all Peter wanted was to be curled up on Stark's lap fast asleep.

The door opened, and Peter heard footsteps as numerous people entered, he couldn't see how many.

"I like what you've done, but how did you get him to bruise so fast?"

Peter jumped at the sound of the Cap's voice. There was a chuckle.

"That wasn't me. He had those before I started."

"Well, well, well. Someone was a bad boy. What did you do to make Tony so mad?"

Peter figured Cap was talking to him, but he really didn't feel like answering. If he told this man, it felt like he would be betraying Mr. Stark and he wasn't going to do that. He had already betrayed one person this week; he would be damned if he did it again.

"Still not talking? That's too bad. I guess we'll just have to beat it out of you." Cap said condescendingly. Peter could tell that the man wanted to hit him.

"Barnes, how about we get the rest of those clothes off so we can really go to town?"

There was a grunt from Barnes who had been quiet up until now.

Someone came up behind him and grasped his too big gym shorts that were his only barrier protecting his skin. He felt them rip, making him even more vulnerable. Peter felt nausea creep up through his stomach. It made him sick being naked in front of these two men.

He heard a grunt of surprise behind him, then a chuckle.

"Hey Cap? Check this out."

Peter heard footsteps circling him, then another sound of surprise.

"Haha! Well, my boy, you really must have gotten Tony in a tizzy from him to punish you like this. What did you do to make him so passionate?" Cap asked curiously.

Peter continued to remain silent.

"Still so quiet? That's ok; it will be more fun to make you scream."

That was his only warning before he was hit again. If it was possible, the pain was even worse than before. Peter screamed, unable to stay silent. The blow landed across his ass, and it burned.

"He screams so prettily, and after just one blow." Peter knew that if he could turn around to see Cap now, the man would be grinning.

CRACK.

Another blow landed, this time on his front. Peter hadn't expected that and jerked away, only to feel another blow land on his ass.

Both men were hitting him with….something. Peter couldn't figure out what, he was too busy screaming and jerking away from the blows. His mind was a haze of pain, and all he felt was blood dripping down his skin.

Peter wasn't sure how many blows landed before it stopped. He could feel the burning marks across his arms, torso, back, butt and thighs. Tears dropped along with the blood as he stood shaking in his bonds.

"So, are you ready to talk now?" Cap asked.

Peter considered it, but his loyalty overshadowed his pain. He wasn't betraying anyone else. He shook his head and closed his eyes, waiting for the blows to rain down.

Only they didn't.

"Hmmm Barnes, it looks like we've got a stubborn one on our hands. Let's try something different. Bring the prototype; this is the perfect opportunity to test it out." Cap said musingly.

There was a grunt in reply from Barnes. Peter stood trembling, letting the tears silently track down his face and mix with the blood on his chest. They waited.

The door opened again, and Peter heard footsteps before the light was switched off and the room was plunged into darkness once more.

Another small bulb flickered to life above Peter's head, and he was finally able to see the room he was in and the people around him clearly. The first thing Peter noticed was the giant blond man leaning casually against the wall, watching him with hooded eyes. He wore workout clothes, which Peter thought was pretty odd for someone who was part of a mob. The other man had dark brown hair that fell into his eyes, some kind of black mask covering his nose and mouth and, to Peter's astonishment, a silver arm.

The room itself was made of concrete. It was dark, dingy and wet. There seemed to be mold growing in one of the corners. The light source that had been blinding him came from a giant fluorescent light that pointed directly at his face. No wonder he hadn't been able to see anything.

"I'm going to tell you what's in the little syringe Bucky is holding. It's a new prototype drug that we are looking to put on the market, and you're the perfect guinea pig to try it out. It's going to increase your dopamine levels, stimulate the production of testosterone, and you're going to be begging to be fucked before this is over. Let's see if it will work, shall we? Barnes?" Cap smiled menacingly.

Barnes approached Peter with a syringe and reached for Peter's arm. Peter started to shake his head. He didn't want this. He would rather be hit a million more times than have this.

Barnes stuck the needle in his arm and Peter whimpered from the pain. It was followed by the feeling of fluid being pumped into his veins. He sagged as the needle was removed from his skin.

"I'm not really sure how long this will take, and I don't really feel like waiting. So we'll leave you here to enjoy your high." Cap spoke as he walked towards the door, followed by Barnes. The lights were shut off, and Peter was left in the dark once more.

He hung there quietly, waiting for the concoction to take hold and tried to prepare himself for it. Peter wished Tony was here. He missed the man's soothing voice, making him feel safe and cared for. But a small voice in the back of his mind told him that Tony probably didn't even care. It wasn't like Peter was of any use to him, except as a plaything to be ordered around. Peter didn't know anything; he was useless. So he would hang here being tortured until he died alone.

One last tear fell from Peter's cheek as he thought of his impending fate. His one wish was to be able to tell Tony that he hadn't run away.


	9. Chapter 9

Tony stood frozen staring at the empty bed where Peter was supposed to be sleeping waiting for him to return. His anger flared. That boy had run away again.

Tony grabbed his phone out of his back pocket and turned on his tracking app for Dum-E and U. He was so glad he had put trackers on both dogs in case they ran away or something like this happened. He saw their little green dots unmoving outside the mansion.

Huh maybe the kid hadn't run away, he might just be sitting on the beach. Tony moved through the house and to the front door. He walked around the building in the dark, looking for the dogs and Peter, with squinted eyes. He saw some lumps in the sand that might be them, sitting looking out to the ocean.

Tony was startled by the sound of a heavy vehicle taking off across the sand. He looked up to see, what looked like a white van zooming away.

Tony ran forward hoping to see that his boy and dogs were ok, and found only the two dogs lying on the ground. They weren't moving. Tony knelt beside them checking for a pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized they had only been sedated. He looked for signs of Peter but saw none. His heart leaped into his throat, and he tried to breathe but felt like he couldn't.

Peter was gone, his boy had been taken from him. There was no other explanation. Peter wouldn't have been able to plan something like this. Tony buried his head in his hands gasping for air. He was panicking. He couldn't figure out who…..WAIT! It had to be the Howling Commandos. Steve was behind this; he was the only one who would know that Peter even existed because of the mole he had planted.

Tony's panic changed to anger, in the blink of an eye. He still clutched his phone in a white-knuckled grip. He quickly dialed the emergency number for Rhodey. The phone rang three times before it was answered.

"Tony?"

"He's gone."

"Who's gone?" Rhodey sounded confused over the phone.

"Peter, they took Peter, Rhodey."

"Who took him, we will find him I promise, but you need to tell me who." Rhodey's voice had grown serious.

"Steve Rogers," Tony growled seeing red at speaking the name of the man that had taken his Peter.

"Give me ten to figure out where he is; I'll call you back with an address."

Tony hung up the phone without responding. He reached down and gently picked up Dum-E to carry him inside. He would have J return for U. He was strong, but he couldn't really carry two dead weight German Shepards.

He placed Dum-E in the living room and walked up the stairs in a haze. He went into his closet and pressed a button right next to the light switch. A panel that contained his suits slid forward then covered another panel revealing an arsenal of weapons. Tony stripped off his coat and put on his shoulder holster, followed by his ankle holster and side holster. He finally put one more gun tucked in the back of his pants. He now carried four handguns on him. He also slipped some ammo in his pocket and put his suit back on.

Tony could breathe a little easier now that he was armed. Having a weapon on him always made Tony feel more in control. It reminded him of how his father used to behave before a big event. He would watch as his old man strapped on his gear and talked to Tony as he did so. He would say things like "You are always more in control when you have a weapon in your hand, my boy." or "Don't go anywhere without being armed son, you never know what the world has in store for you."

Howard has always been about control, and when he didn't have it, well, he got a little violent about it. Whether that was against the actual target of his anger or anyone in the vicinity. Tony had learned pretty quickly when it was best to avoid his father.

Not to say that Tony hadn't had good memories with his father. Howard had loved him in his own way, and Tony thought that if his parents hadn't died in that car crash when he was 21, he might have been able to understand his father better if he knew him now.

Tony shook off thoughts of his dad as he walked down the stairs to find Jarvis. He found the man in the kitchen making a fresh pot of coffee.

"Here you are, Sir. I thought you might need a cup while we wait to hear from Mr. Rhodes."

If Tony wasn't feeling so out if it, he would have thanked his lucky stars that Jarvis always knew exactly what to do to make him feel better. Instead, he just grabbed the cup offered to him and didn't bother to add anything to it like he usually would. He needed the strong black taste to ground him.

"U is still outside. He was hit with some sort of dart can you carry him to the living room where I put Dum-E?"

"Of course, Sir. I'll be but a moment." Jarvis started moving for the front door, but before he left, he turned looking Tony in the eye. "We will find him."

Tony didn't respond; he just stared into his coffee cup, watching the steam rise off of the black liquid.

He was jolted out of his thoughts by his phone buzzing in his pocket. He fished it out and read the caller I.D. It was Rhodey, thank God. Tony answered and put the phone up to his ear.

"Rhodey, what did you find out?"

"Well, there's good news and bad news Tones. The bad news is we still don't know where Peter is, but we do know where Peter is not, so that has narrowed down our search. Give me another half-n-hour, and I'll have a definitive answer."

"Alright, I'll try baiting Roger's and see if he will give me any information. He obviously wants my attention."

"No, Tony. Wait until I have a location, I think you will make more of a statement by showing up. We also don't know if another group is involved."

"Arrrrgh fine, just hurry ok." Tony sighed feeling useless.

He heard Rhodey hang up the phone and followed suit. He might as well head to his workshop and start working on his pet project to try and distract himself.

He made it to the workshop and took one look at his project car and shook his head. The McLaren 720S held no interest for him right now. Maybe he could work on his experimental weapon that he was stumped on.

He walked over to where it was hidden under a sheet. He pulled off the white covering revealing his prototype repulser beam gun.

It had been an idea that had come to him on an insomnia-filled night. He was thinking about all sorts of purposes. They could be used for besides a weapon. But he would start with his tried and true use for things and then move on to other things.

He turned on some AC/DC, and TNT started blasting in the workshop. He tried to get lost in the music and his tinkering, but it was hard when his heart was somewhere else. And wasn't that the shocker.

Tony had never felt something quite like this. His heart had always stayed out of business and very rarely gotten involved with the personal. But now both were 100% involved, and there was no pulling them out. This had gone way beyond a wanting. This was a live-or-die need.

The next song came on: Iron man by Black Sabbath. The slow beat sped up and slowed as the song moved along suiting Tony's mood just fine. Tony felt all over the place as he was forced to just sit here and do nothing. Then Tony remembered the folder the Pepper had left on his desk this morning.

It was a full write up on everything Peter Parker, and he hadn't had the chance to read it yet. He quickly turned off the music and ran to his office. He opened the surprisingly thin folder and read what little information there was. It had his parents names, Richard and Mary Parker, who both died in a plane crash when Peter was four. The boy was then raised by his aunt May Parker and Uncle Ben Parker. Ben was murdered when Peter was in his teens, leaving him and his aunt alone. There was no mention of any other relatives. Two friends were mentioned: that Ned kid and a girl named Michelle Jones, who went by MJ. The only thing left was his employment at the Daily Bugle, and his school transcripts. The kid was smart; he looked to have all As and a 4.0.

Tony flipped to the back of all the pages that were in the folder, but there was no more information on the boy. Tony growled in frustration and tossed the folder on the table, paper flying out of it and onto the floor. He propped his elbows on the desk and rubbed his temples. He was so overwhelmingly stressed. He couldn't think straight. If he at least had a game plan, then he could be focusing on that, but there wasn't any except for him to sit on his ass and wait.

Well, he could plan what he was going to do to Steve when he got his hands on him. Tony thought slow torture would be the best. Or wait, whatever they did to Peter he was going to do to them 100 times over.

His phone began buzzing in his pocket again; he pulled it out. This time it was Pepper.

"Yea?" he answered tersely.

"We found him."

"Where?!"

"He's in Brooklyn at the Howling Commandos headquarters."

"What?" Tony growled. They were practically declaring war.

"Yea, Rhoey just got confirmation, I have a car waiting out front."

"Thanks, Pep. I owe you and Rhodey for this one."

"Just get him and bring him home." she paused like she was hesitating. "No matter what you think we do like him, Tony."

Tony pinched his nose trying to keep tears back. "I know you do."

He hung up the phone before Pepper could say anything else that would make him actually cry. He sniffed and decided then and there that he was tired of feeling out of control. He was ready to get mad and take out all his anger on someone who deserved it. He was going to get his baby back.

He stomped out of the door and stalked down the hall to the living room where Jarvis was sitting cuddling Dum-E and U, who were both now awake and looking good for being drugged just an hour ago.

"They woke up right after you left for your workshop, I suggest taking them with you, sir," Jarvis spoke up from where he sat petting U's head.

"I was planning on it. Jarvis, please grab your emergency first aid kit, we may need your skills in dealing with any injuries Peter might have sustained during his visit with our friends."

Jarvis' eyes hardened and nodded as he left for the kitchen. Tony whistled to the dogs and walked out the front door to the car waiting for him. Happy opened the back door for him, and Tony slid in followed by Dum-E and U. They were joined a minute later by Jarvis climbing into the front passenger seat, while Happy started the car.

They were on their way to rescue his sweet baby boy.


	10. Chapter 10

Peter's head grew fuzzy as his body heated up. His skin felt sensitized. His dick had hardened painfully roughly 10 minutes ago. Peter was used to odd and random erections; he had just gotten out of his teens after all.

This was different; he had never felt this strong of a need to have something, anything, touch his penis. He needed friction of any kind, now. Or he was going to go insane.

It was hard to breathe, let alone think about anything other than sex. It didn't matter that he had never come from anything other than his own hand. He could still imagine the feel of a wet, slick mouth wrapped around his hard member. He could almost feel the wet glide. He looked down watching as his erect cock bobbed, dripping pre-cum down his length.

Peter whimpered and started to shake with the need for touch.

He was startled out of his head when the door banged open, and someone came running into the room. Peter couldn't see who it was because the room was still dark and his eyes weren't focusing correctly. The person didn't speak, just reached up and unhooked his manacles. They grabbed Peter, who cried out in pain as the person wrapped a metal hand, crushingly around his wrist.

This had to be Barnes. It was weird, but even the crushing grip felt better than not being touched at all. Those drugs were seriously fucking with his head.

Peter stumbled after Barnes as he was dragged from the dark room down a partially lit hallway. Everything around him looked dirty like there was a layer of grime perpetually coating the floors, walls, and ceiling.

Peter was dragged up a flight of stairs into what appeared to be a very nice and old fashioned looking home. The place wreaked of money and high society. Everything seemed to be placed for show and intimidation without a thought to comfort or practicality.

Barnes stopped abruptly causing Peter to almost lose his footing and practically fall into Barnes. Barnes caught him and shoved him into a room, so he landed sprawled across the floor. He looked up to see boots he didn't recognize. His eyes kept traveling up to thick legs, a meaty chest to a sneering face he had never seen before. He had expected the captain, but this was someone new. Someone much scarier. There were lines around his mouth, and his skin had a sheen of purple under it. It gave the man an eerie look.

He chuckled low and deep his throat as he leaned back against a throne.

"It looks like your master caught on to us faster than I would have liked, but I will see you again soon, little pet." His voice was deep and made Peter shiver in terror.

The man leaned down and gently cupped Peter's chin.

"I look forward to it." The man whispered as he ghosted his lips over Peter's in a phantom kiss. Peter whimpered from the touch the drugs still flowing in his system. His cock jumped at the touch of lips on lips.

The man smiled at him with cruel eyes then cuffed him sending Peter into blackness.

Peter heard shouts as if they were coming through a tunnel. He tried to move, but his limbs felt too heavy. His body still felt over sensitized, and his brain was fuzzy. He heard more voices; they sounded closer now. He felt hands touching his shoulder and more shouts.

He was slowly able to decipher words. His name was prominent among them. He tried again to move or speak but was still unable to. He tried one more time to speak, but all that came out of his throat was a tiny whine.

"Peter! Peter, it's ok baby you're safe now. God! what did they do to you?! They are going to pay for this. Peter, can you hear me? Answer me baby boy. I'm here." Tony sounded frantic. It made Peter warm inside to hear his voice. He was saved.

He tried once again to answer Tony. This time he was able to get out a mumbled "Tony?"

"That's right. It's me, baby boy. I'm here; you're safe ok. I will never let this happen to you again." Tony lifted him and cradled Peter in his arms gently. Peter could feel the stinging of his wounds and how his cock jumped at Tony's touch. He cuddled as well as his body could manage into Tony's arms whimpering.

"It's alright baby; let's get you home." Peter could feel Tony shift underneath him as the man stood cradling the bloody, whimpering boy in his arms.

Peter heard other voices as Tony carried him out of that place of horror. He recognized James' voice, and Jarvis'. They sounded shocked and angry, but Peter didn't listen to what they had to say. He honestly didn't really care. All he cared about was feeling Mr. Stark's arms wrapped around him, holding him tightly. It felt so good to be touched by this man, but Peter needed more. He needed Tony's hand to caress his skin and move to his inner thighs and up to his raging hard-on. He needed Tony. His limbs finally felt capable of movement, and he lifted a hand to Tony's cheek.

"Sir, please." He begged.

"I know baby; we're gonna get you home and get you all bandaged up. It going to be ok." Tony didn't look at him, just climbed into the back of a car.

"Sir, Please. I need.." Peter whimpered pulling gently on Mr. Stark's cheek to get him to look down at him. He raised his own head trying to reach Tony's lips with his own. He craved the contact of the touch of lips on lips could give him.

Tony lowered his head. He looked confused but obliged Peter. Peter was able to lift his head enough to slant his lips over Mr. Starks in desperation. He must have surprised Stark because the man froze for a second then groaned and started kissing the boy back.

Tony's tongue came out and flicked Peter's bottom lip causing the boy to whimper in pleasure. Tony took the open mouth as an invitation and plundered the treasure that lay within with his tongue. Peter whined in pleasure and wrapped his arms tightly around Tony's neck. The man pulled the boy in closer, not caring about the wounds that covered the naked boy's skin. To be fair Peter didn't care either. All he wanted was to be as close to Mr. Stark as possible.

All Peter could do was follow along as their tongues tangled together. He whimpered as his skin heated even more. His face flushed and the feeling of blood rising to the surface traveled down his neck to his chest.

He thrust his hips forward trying to get any form of stimulation on his aching cock. Tony finally seemed to notice his neediness and broke the kiss. Peter was gratified to see that he wasn't the only one gasping for breath.

"What did they do to you baby boy. Not that I'm not happy you kissed me but.."

"A drug." Peter whimpered as he thrust his hips and clutched the man that held him. He reached up and kissed the man's neck, sucking on his skin trying to get any form of sexual stimulation he possibly could.

There was a hitch in Tony's breath that Peter could hear as he continued to suck on the skin under his lips needily.

The man massaged the skin on the boy's thighs, careful of his injuries. Peter whimpered and wiggled in the man's lap trying to get his groin closer to those large warm hands.

"Please Sir, I need you to touch me so bad." Peter keened as he let go of the skin he was sucking on and practically thrashed in the older man's hold.

"Shh shh, it's ok baby I'll take care of you. You're such a good boy for me. I'm gonna make it all better." Tony skimmed his hand up and down Peter's thigh, carefully avoiding the wounds. "But first let's get you home so we can get you cleaned and patched up."

"But sir, It hurts so bad. Please." Peter wiggled even more. He was trying to get Tony's hand to touch him where he needed to contact the most. It was so frustrating.

Peter reached his own hand down needing something, anything to get rid of this incessant need. Tony grabbed his hand before he could wrap it around his own cock.

"No. Let me." Peter whimpered and turned into Tony biting his shoulder trying to keep himself from making so much noise.

Tony let go of his hand and glided his own down to wrap around the boy's penis. Peter practically groaned in relief, the noise muffled by the muscle clenched in his mouth.

Peter waited trembling, for Tony to move his hand and provide any form of stimulation. But the man just held Peter's cock in his hand occasionally squeezing it.

Peter couldn't take it anymore; he reached his hand down again. He needed friction.

"No" Mr. Stark growled and grabbed Peter's arm with his other hand that wasn't occupied pinning it to his side before he could touch himself. "It's mine, and no one touches what is mine except me."

Peter whimpered again. The possessive words causing arousal to shoot down his spine and his hips to thrust up involuntarily into Mr. Stark's hand.

He let go of Tony's shoulder and practically keened as Stark gave a lazy stroke up his length and back down.

"Please sir, god please I need it." Peter was begging uncontrollably, his mind a haze of hormones and want.

Tony leaned down and took the writhing boy's mouth with his own, silencing his pleas with his tongue. Tony's fingers ghosted over the head of Peter's cock rubbing the sensitive skin with deft fingers. Pre-cum had dribbled down Peter's cock making Stark's fingers slick as they glided back down and up.

Peter was ready to cry; it felt so good. He didn't want the feeling to ever stop. He kissed Stark back wrapping his arms as best as he could around Tony's neck. Stark had let go of his arm allowing him to do this and moved the hand up Peter's chest to tease one of the boy's nipples. Peter gasped at the feeling, his eyes rolling back in his head and his hips thrusting sporadically.

Tony withdrew resting his forehead against Peter's.

"Your such a good boy. I love the sounds you make when I touch you. You're so needy for it. Do you like how I'm touching you?" Tony whispered to him maintaining eye contact with Peter.

The boy nodded frantically, arching up into the touch.

"Tell me," Stark commanded, pinching the head between his calloused fingers. Peter whimpered in discomfort.

"I love it, sir." Peter gasped out and was rewarded with Mr. Stark pumping his hand up and down Peter's length.

The boy was so close to just erupting then and there from all the stimulation that he yelled in despair when Tony's hand left his member entirely and traveled across his stomach and inner thighs teasingly instead.

"Now now, good boys are patient Peter. And you want to be good for me don't you?" Tony moved his head to whisper in Peter's ear. "Bad boy's on the other hand….. they get punished."

Peter shivered.

"So are you going to be a good boy or a bad boy?" Tony asked.

"A good boy, sir." Peter puffed out of his swollen kissed lips.

"That's what I thought," Stark replied sounding pleased as he nibbled on Peter's ear and down to his neck.

Peter could feel Tony suck his skin into his mouth, leaving a mark behind.

Peter moaned in pleasure at the possessive move. He loved having Tony's mark on him. It made him feel….

Wanted.

Needed.

Owned.

It erased the marks on his body that were made by others. The only marks that remained were Tony Stark's. His sir.

Peter clutched at the man holding him; he couldn't get close enough. He pulled at Tony's clothes, tugging at the dress shirt, trying desperately to get access to skin. His hands were grabbed by Tony's and held gently.

"Patience Peter. My good boy. We're home. Let's get you cleaned up then I'll make you feel so good."

Peter whimpered at those words. It was a promise. "Please, sir," Peter begged.

Peter felt Tony shift again underneath him and could feel the cold air touch his bare skin. He shivered in response and curled into Tony.

"It's ok baby, hold on. We will be inside in a minute. See there's Jarvis opening the door for us."

Peter snuggled closer into the man's chest feeling the sound of his voice rumble through his ear. It was so comforting to know he was safe that he was cared for.

The warmth of the house engulfed him. Peter would have purred if he wasn't so overwhelmed. He was tired, sore, but mostly horny. His dick was still rock hard and aching for touch. He would have touched it himself if Stark hadn't told him he couldn't. But he was going to be good for Tony. He was a good boy.

Peter didn't pay attention to anything until he felt Tony kneel. He looked around hesitantly but saw that they were in the master bedroom by the tub. Peter looked at it and knew Tony was going to put him in there alone, but he didn't want to be alone. He wanted to stay in Mr. Starks arms.

Stark turned on the taps and checked the water temperature with his hand. He spoke into Peter's hair: "It's ok baby just getting the temperature right, then we will get you all cleaned and bandaged up." He paused then asked "Who did this to you, baby? Do you know what they looked like? Can you describe them to me?" Tony's voice had hardened with restrained rage.

Peter nodded hesitantly. "I can describe them sir, but… I also know some of their names."

"That would be even better baby. What were their names? Tell me, and I promise I will make this all go away."

"Later sir, please. I need you now." Peter begged his hard-on, and the drugs had taken over his mind once again making it impossible for him to think about anything but coming from Stark's touch.

"You're so needy baby boy. What kind of drug did they give you? Do you know how long it will last? Will it go away if you get relief?" Tony sounded concerned, as he reached his hand down to once again wrap it around the boy's aching cock.

Peter gasped and arched his hips up to pump himself into those fingers.

"You can't wait can you Peter baby. You're so wanton for it aren't you. Such a needy baby. You want to cum so badly don't you."

Peter whimpered, unable to speak. He was too focused on how good it felt to be pumping his hips into Tony's hand.

"It's ok baby boy; you can be needy with me. I'm going to make you feel all better." Tony changed his grip so he could pump his hand up and down more easily on Peter's cock. He started with slow pumps and a twisting motion that ran over the head of Peter's member and then back down for full, toe-curling strokes that had Peter on the edge in minutes.

"Ahhh, Sir, so good," Peter cried out.

"Your so close aren't you baby, my good boy, cum for me baby, cum all over yourself. Show me how good it feels."

Tony put his forehead against Peter's and watched the boy's face. Peter couldn't meet those eyes. It was too overstimulating. All he could was close his eyes and grip Mr. Stark's suit jacket with both hands as his hips bucked up, his stomach clenched, his balls drew up, and his cock erupted. Peter cried out as cum shot all over his chest, abdomen and Tony's suit jacket, leaving them both covered in it.

Peter whimpered and panted for breath as his mind started to clear from the fog. His muscles grew heavy, and his arms fell to his sides as his hands lost their grip.

"My good boy, so good. I'm so proud of you." Peter felt Mr. Stark's lips touch his sweaty forehead and shivered with pleasure, letting his body drift with post-orgasmic bliss.


	11. Chapter 11

Peter came back to awareness slowly; his body still feeling lethargic. He noticed he was still wrapped up in Tony's arms being cuddled. He nuzzled into Stark's chest sighing with contentment.

"It's time to get you all cleaned up." Mr. Stark murmured as he lifted the boy so he could put him gently in the tub.

Peter clung to the man like a monkey; he did not want to get into that tub and be alone again.

"What's wrong, baby boy?" Tony sounded concerned.

"I don't want to be alone," Peter mumbled into Stark's chest.

"I'm not going to leave you alone; I'll be right here I promise."

Peter just shook his head and held on even tighter; he didn't want Tony to stop holding him. Peter was afraid that if he let go his whole world would shatter again, and he just couldn't go through that again.

Tony was quiet for a few minutes then finally asked: "you don't want me to stop holding you do you?"

Peter felt so vulnerable and terrified that Tony would reject him that all he could do was silently nod his head.

"I won't let you go," Tony promised, kissing Peter's head. "This is gonna be a little tricky." He added.

Peter felt Stark shift underneath him, so the man was sitting cross-legged on the floor with Peter in his lap.

"I'm going to need your help baby boy," Tony said. Peter looked up confused but was reassured by Tony's smile.

"We need to get you clean, so I'm going to join you in the bath, but first I need help getting out of these clothes," Tony explained.

Peter finally got it and nodded. He liked this solution; he liked it a lot. Peter immediately tugged on the suit jacket, pulling it down Mr. Stark's broad shoulders. Once it was free, he undid the button of the vest. Peter thought idly that Tony looked really good in a suit, but it was just waaaay too many layers. Peter tried to pull off the vest but was hindered by the straps of Tony's shoulder holster. Peter stopped and looked at the gun under Tony's left arm.

"It's ok baby I got that hold on," Tony reassured as he carefully removed the shoulder holster and set it to the side. He also pulled another gun from behind his back and set it next to the other one. He unclipped another gun from his waist, and it joined the pile.

Peter was wide-eyed at the display of weaponry. He knew Tony was dangerous, but it was one thing to know and another to actually see it.

Peter was snapped out of his daze by Tony running his hands up and down Peter's arms. "It's ok baby, can you finish helping me so we can get you all cleaned up and bandaged?"

Peter nodded and tugged the vest off of Tony, then started in on the dress shirt buttons. The dress shirt opened to reveal a white tank top. Peter pulled the shirt up from its tucked position yanking it so the offending fabric could finally be removed. Peter tugged viciously at the tank top next he wanted it off now.

"Easy baby. Here let me."

Tony leaned up and pulled the tank top over his head in the casual male move of grabbing the back collar with one hand and yanking it forward over his head in a seamless move. Finally, Tony's chest was revealed to Peter. Peter wrapped his arms around Tony's middle and buried his head into the man's chest. The boy closed his eyes and just breathed the man in. He savored the warmth and closeness. Tony rubbed his hands along Peter's back careful not to aggravate any of the wounds there.

"Peter I can't think of another way to do this baby boy. I'm gonna put you in the tub while I get these pants off. It will just be a minute I promise, ok?" Tony said.

Peter nodded he could do a minute. Tony gently lifted the boy and turned around with him in his arms so he could set the boy in the warm water. Peter couldn't help but marvel at the level of strength Tony possessed, to be able to maneuver so carefully without showing a sign of strain.

Peter watched as Tony let him go then quickly stripped. First, the belt was unbuckled, then both shoes were untied and kicked off followed by two socks, and yet another gun.

Peter wasn't sure whether to watch or look away as Tony stripped off his pants and boxers in one smooth move. Peter opted for away feeling embarrassed about how much he had to think about that.

Peter wrapped his arms around his bent knees in the water all the wounds stung painfully, but it wasn't unbearable. Now that he looked at himself he could see the water had turned the slightest bit pink from all the dried blood covering his skin. There were still lines of dried blood where the blood had dripped down from his wounds he looked like crap. No wonder Tony wanted to get him cleaned up. Peter looked more closely at a few of the whip marks and poked at one cautiously; they weren't deep which was a good thing, there was just a lot of them, everywhere.

Peter felt Tony carefully get in the tub behind him. He saw Tony's leg as they stretched out on both sides of him. Peter uncurled himself when Tony reached out his hands and pulled the boy back towards him. He cuddled the boy against him, Peters back against the man's broad chest. Peter laid his head back against Tony's shoulder and closed his eyes.

Peter stayed quiet listening to Tony fiddling with something, before something that felt an awful lot like a sponge wiped down his skin. Peter cracked his eyes open to see that yes Tony held a large sponge in his hand that was covered in bubbles. The man was carefully, and oh so gently wiping the dried blood away.

"Can you tell me who did this Peter?" Tony sounded calm, but Peter could feel the tending of muscles behind him. Peter turned on his side and cuddled into Tony providing comfort as well as receiving. He was trying to tell Tony without words that he was safe and here.

"One of them was named Barnes, he did most of it, and also the Captain. And there was another man, I don't know his name, but he seemed to be in charge."

Tony had stopped moving, and his muscles had bunched up even more. Then he sighed releasing the tension and went back to his sponging.

"These luckily don't look that bad; They must have put something on the whips so they wouldn't just create welts but actually break the skin. Did you get a good look at the whips, do you know if it was metal? What about a tetanus shot? Are you up to date?"

Peter just shook his head at all those questions; it was too much too fast. He didn't want to think about it again. He just wanted to get cleaned up and then sleep. His skin still felt sensitive, and his head was still fuzzy. The drugs must still be in his system.

Tony stopped asking questions and remained quiet as he finished sponging the blood off his front and part of his back. The water had taken care of the rest.

"There's no point in covering the wounds, for one thing, there's too many of them, you would look like a mummy and most of them are very shallow, and have already scanned over. I'm a little concerned by two on your chest and two on your back. They look the deepest." Tony carefully traced the ones he had just mentioned. They were the ones that formed an X — the first ones Barnes had done. Peter shivered at the memory.

"Come one baby boy let's get you into bed." Tony lifted them both out of the tub, not caring about the water that sloshed out of the tub and then dripped all over the tile as he walked over for a towel.

"Can you stand?" Tony asked.

Peter nodded and allowed his feet to be lowered to the floor. He leaned against Tony as the man wrapped him gently in a towel then reached for one for himself. Tony dried them both off then lifted Peter once again, and carried the boy out of the bathroom and into the master bedroom. He placed the boy carefully on the bed where the covered were still tossed back from Peter's rush to get out of bed.

It was strange but that moment felt like weeks ago, not just a few hours. Tony curled around him and pulled the covers over them both.

Peter decided that this was perfect. He was warm, safe, and comforted by the strong arms holding him close. Right here, right now, he didn't have to worry about a scary man who could have horrible things done to him and then make promises that sent terror racing through him. He was safe, and Tony would never ever let that happen to him again. He knew because Tony had promised, and the man never broke a promise.

Tony listened as the boy in his arm's breathing leveled out into sleep. He had been so scared and so angry when they had arrived at the address, where Peter was being held. They had run into a few goons. Dum-E and U had had fun getting their jaws on them and tearing a few nasty wounds. To be honest, Tony had received sick pleasure in shooting them himself. So what if he had used more bullets then strictly necessary it had felt satisfying. He felt like he might be turning into Deadpool. That mercenary was violent, a murderer, and laughed while he did it. Ah well, that was a question of introspection for another time.

The weird thing was that was it. The whole place was pretty much deserted except for that first group. And when he had seen his baby boy, lying bloody on the floor with horrible bruises around his wrists and ankles, covered in bloody stripes, he had seen red. But there was no one there to hurt, just his baby boy in need of comfort and affection.

The drug use shouldn't have surprised him, but it had. The way Peter had kissed him, it was so hard to show any restraint and actually focus on the fact that Peter was wounded. However, his restraint had flown out the window at Peter's needy pleas and wanton movements. He'd lost control of himself and took what was offered to him on a proverbial silver platter.

The worst part was he couldn't make himself feel guilty about it. It had been too perfect. He had known Peter would be beautiful to watch and control during sex. But this had been beyond his wildest dreams. The needy sounds the boy had made. The control that he had been allowed to wield. The responses Peter had given. It only made Tony want more. He wanted to see the look on Peter's face when he entered him for the first time. Watch the look in the boy's eyes when he discovers his prostate. The tears that would well when Peter would try to deep throat him. God, he wanted it all. He wanted every sound and reaction he could get from this boy.

He had known Peter was probably inexperienced; it was another to be shown that with his unskilled kissing, but that was just another thing that made this beautiful. Tony would get all of Peter's firsts, and he relished it.


	12. Chapter 12

Peter stretched carefully wincing. His whole body ached from head to toe. Peter curled back up and got comfortable once more, hugging a pillow to his chest. Peter felt arms wrapping around him from behind and heard Tony's sleep-roughened voice in his ear.

"Morning baby boy. Or more accurately good afternoon. It's about two in the afternoon."

Peter hummed an acknowledgment to Tony's words but didn't respond more than that.

"Hungry Baby boy?"

"M-m" Peter shook his head no and cuddled the pillow closer.

Peter heard a snort in derision behind him. "Who would have thought I would be jealous of a fucking pillow."

Peter looked over at Tony bemused by the comment. It was nice to know he wasn't the only one with human emotions and insecurities, especially coming from Tony. Peter let go of the pillow and wrapped his hand around Stark's that was laying across his abdomen. He pulled it up so the hand was resting against his chest and he could hug the man's arm. Tony chuckled.

"Or be appeased so easily."

Peter just shook his head at the foolish man behind him, he sighed deeply and let all the tension out of his muscles hoping to go back to sleep. Sleep was a little challenging when he noticed something hard cushioned between his butt cheeks. It was also pretty difficult to try and stay relaxed when he remembered they were both naked.

It would have been a lot less embarrassing if Peter's body didn't respond with interest to the feeling of Tony's hard cock between his ass cheeks. Peter wanted to arch his back and grind his ass against the man teasingly, but he couldn't do that. Peter felt like a whore for even thinking those thoughts, let alone considering it.

Those thoughts reminded Peter of last night. He had acted like a complete wanton hussy with the way he had kissed Tony and thrust his hips like a cheap slut looking for a good time; it made him feel so fucking ashamed.

He was so new to all of this sexual stuff, and he couldn't figure out why Tony was still snuggling him or being nice to him when he had acted so disgracefully last night. He had made Tony assist him with his disgusting behavior.

"What's wrong Peter you've gone all quiet, and I know that look, you're gonna start crying any second. So what's got you all upset." Tony sounded so concerned it made Peter's heart hurt even more.

"How can you even look at me, let alone touch me after last night?" Peter whispered.

Tony shifted, so Peter was lying on his back with Tony hovering above him. Their legs were side by side rather than being on top of each other. Tony looked intensely down at the boy's eyes.

"So you were attempting to run away." Tony looked sad.

"What?! No, I was just going for a walk, honest." Peter was shocked.

"So then what the hell are you apologizing for?" Tony looked just as confused as Peter felt.

Fuck, Tony must be punishing him for his wanton behavior by making him spell out exactly what he was sorry for. He gulped.

"I..I'm s...s.s. for my behavior last night, sir." Peter shut his eyes tight. He knew that was a horrible apology and Tony would punish him for it for sure.

"Peter, baby if you're talking about when I found you. You didn't do anything wrong baby."

"But I"

"Shhh. I promise you, you did nothing wrong and everything right. I'm not mad or upset. Far from it. I should have done a better job at controlling myself."

Peter looked up at the man above him. He looked contrite and wasn't meeting Peter's eyes which was highly unusual for control freak Tony.

"It's not your fault sir. If I hadn't been captured and drugged then yo-" Peter felt a finger pressing against his lips, stopping Peter in mid-speech.

"Don't. I'm going, to be honest with you. I should have done a better job, but I don't regret what happened. I can't regret it. It was beautiful watching you be vulnerable like that with me, and I want to see it again very badly baby boy. Watching you tremble and shake. Hearing you beg so prettily. No one and I mean no one would have been able to resist you last night. Male, female, gay, straight. Everyone and anyone would have been all over you." Tony said and leaned down to whisper in Peter's ear. "But you know what the best part of all of this is?"

Peter shook his head. His breathing had quickened at Stark's words, and he could feel himself harden under the covers.

"You are all mine," Tony spoke with possessive pride coating his voice as he bit Peter's ear in a delicious way that sent shivers down the boy's spine.

Peter whimpered in pleasure as Tony tugged gently on the flesh still between his teeth.

"It's noises like that, and the way I can feel you shifting your hips that drives me crazy." Tony continued as he let go of Peter's ear and trailed his lips down Peter's neck. "Make some more of them for me, baby boy."

Peter couldn't help it when Tony bit the tendon running up and down his neck in a light grip, he whined and moved his head to make it easier for Tony to get access to his neck.

"Those sounds," Stark groaned, "They make me want you so badly my good boy."

Peter wasn't sure if this was a good idea or not, but his brain has stopped thinking about that sort of thing. It was completely focused on the sensations — the feeling of Tony trailing his lips down to his collarbone. Peter had no idea a collar bone could be so sensitive and tantalizing. Peter was making little whimpering noises with his throat as his hips moved restlessly underneath the covers.

"So wanton baby boy." Tony murmured. Peter wasn't sure why but those words snapped him out of whatever this feeling was. This was Tony Stark the mob boss that had kidnapped him, and then rescued him from even worse kidnappers. Who had gotten him off when he had begged, but he wouldn't be here by choice. He wanted to be home with May curled up on the couch with her watching a movie and maybe Ned would be there.

Maybe they could watch Spiderman into the Spider-Verse. Peter had loved watching that movie in theatres and Ned, and May hadn't seen it yet. Or perhaps they would go to the movies and see Captain Marvel. Peter had heard it was good but hadn't had the chance to see it yet.

Now that he thought about it he had been here the night it had opened in theatres. Peter pushed Tony away and curled up on his side burying his face in his hands trying desperately not to cry at all the life-altering changes that had occurred in his life in just a few short days.

Even if he did go home, he would never be the same Peter, not after all the things that he had been through. The humiliations, the pain, and the restrictions. He would never be able to smile the same way he had before all this or view the world the same way after what he had seen and been through.

He had been forced to change based on circumstances and forces outside of his control, and all he was able to do was roll with the punches as best as he could. He had started to lean on Tony because at least he was steady. He had rules, and if you didn't follow them, then there were consequences. If he followed those rules, then he could live his life in comfort. But it wasn't HIS choice. It wasn't HIS decision.

Peter curled himself into the tightest ball he could physically manage and hoped it was enough to keep him together as he felt the heart-wrenching sob tear through his soul. This wasn't like the many times he had cried before; those were in pain, humiliation, terror, or from being overwhelmed. These sobs came from the realization that his identity of what made him who and what he was, had been completely destroyed. He had been torn apart with zero concern for what or who would pick up the pieces of his broken soul.

"Peter, baby? What's wrong? Peter? Can you hear me?"

Tony sounded extremely concerned, but Peter could barely hear him. It felt like his whole body had traveled down a dark tunnel. There wasn't air in the tunnel or light. Peter felt coated in suffocating blackness with no possible escape.

Peter vaguely registered arms wrapping around him and a hand rubbing soothing circles over his sternum, but the physical sensations didn't seem important in the light of his destroyed soul. Nothing was, not anymore. Peter wished he could just die and not have to struggle with this crushing internal despair.

He could hear more voices other than just Tony's but didn't bother to pay attention to them. Even if he had, he didn't think he would be able to interpret what they are saying anyway. He was too far gone down the rabbit hole.

Peter was pulled slightly back to reality when he felt something unexpected under his fingers. Whatever it was was soft and warm. Peter frowned internally; it may be worth it to fight back this overwhelming feeling to discover what was under his fingers. Peter slowly came back to himself as he investigated with his fingers. Whatever it was, was furry and warm. Peter grabbed onto it with both hands and pulled it towards his face. His eyes were tightly closed and didn't feel like they would be opening anytime soon. His hearing wasn't quite normal yet either; everything sounded like it was coming from really far away and underwater. But his sense of smell was ok. He breathed in through his nose deeply and smelled the distinct scent of dog fur.

Peter's body relaxed even more as he buried his face in the soft fur of the animal's neck as he wrapped his arms securely around the animal.

"That seemed to work, good suggestion Jarvis." Tony's voice came through clearer then it had in a while. "Come here U let's get you behind, Peter."

Peter felt the other dog settle behind him and felt the animal lick his ear, then place his head on Peter's neck, right in the crook between Peter's shoulder and head.

Peter's head started to clear, and his senses returned in full. He registered absently that his face was covered in snot and tears, his breathing was coming in shallow pants, and all his muscles ached from how hard he was clenching them. Peter started with breathing. When he was younger and upset over something, Uncle Ben used to hold him and tell him to listen to his breathing and try and match it as best he could. Peter had discovered even through his teen years that that was the fastest way he could calm himself down. He used that now to match the breathing of Dum-E. It took a minute or two, but his breathing had finally slowed and deepened to an average pace. Next, Peter worked on the muscles. That, he discovered was a lot harder. Every time he tried to get them to relax they just seemed to tense even more.

Peter was jolted out of his attempt at problem-solving when he felt a warm hand stroke his hair.

"Hey, Peter, you back with us now?" Peter nodded in response to Tony's question.

"You've been out of it for a good 20 minutes. You gave us all quite the scare." That sounded Like Jarvis.

Peter cracked his eye open and shifted his face the slightest bit to the left so he could peek past Dum-E's fur. He was a little surprised to see not only Jarvis and Tony, but also Pepper, and James looking down at him. All of them with varying looks of concern. He also noticed that Tony had put on a pair of lounge pants.

Peter met Tony's eyes questioningly at the large audience of people. The man looked sheepish.

"I kinda panicked," he responded to Peter's unasked question. "When I couldn't get you to respond to anything for the first five minutes, I decided to call in some backup, and I'm sure glad I did. It was Jarvis' suggestion to get the dogs."

Listening to Tony talking and feeling his touch helped ground Peter even more, and his muscles started relaxing under the soothing touch of Tony's fingers still running through his hair.

"So you want to tell us what this was all about?" Tony asked.

"I…..I don't really know if I could explain it, even if I tried." Peter mumbled, burying his face back in the soft fur in front of him.

Peter felt a new hand touch his shoulder; it felt feminine and soft reminding Peter of the unwelcome fact that he was still very much naked under the covers.

"Peter, I know you don't know most of us really well, and you have had a lot of really traumatic experiences in the last couple of days, but I want you to know that we all really care about you a lot, and are here to support you. Is there anyone you want to talk to alone to try to explain it to? Or anything we can do to make you feel more comfortable?" Peter hadn't talked to Pepper much at all but her voice was soothing, and her touch reminded him a lot of how Aunt May would talk to him when he was upset.

Peter reached out unthinkingly and grabbed that hand for support. He held it carefully in his fingers and sniffled as he brought that soft hand up to his cheek. The hand may have felt similar to Aunt May's, but it didn't smell like it.

"Peter?" she asked again, as the bed dipped slightly under her weight as she sat on its edge.

Peter sniffled again and whispered, "I miss Aunt May."

"Oh, Peter." Pepper gasped and reached beyond Dum-E so she could hug Peter. Peter couldn't help it. He let go of Dum-E so he could sit up and wrap his arms around Pepper and sobbed into her blouse. She didn't seem to care just made gentle shushing noises as she rocked him gently in her soft grip.

Peter just let himself go. He allowed himself to be held in that loving grip as he cried. He missed his Aunt so much. She always knew exactly what to do or say to make things better, and he would never get to see her ever again. Pepper rubbed soothing circles along his back just like May had when Uncle Ben had died. Peter clutched to Pepper more tightly as those memories swamped him.

Peter wasn't sure how long he cried, but he went until there were no more tears to shed. Pepper still held him as he sniffed the last tear away. Peter lifted his head and looked around the room; it was empty except for Pepper, himself and the dogs.

"Where did everyone go?" Peter asked with a scratchy voice from all the crying.

"They wanted to give us a little privacy in case you wanted to talk about it," Pepper responded as she let Peter go and patted his knee.

Peter looked down at the comforter that was laying over his lap and pulled at invisible stray threads.

"I...After…" Peter stumbled over his words unsure how to even start. He peeked up at Pepper, but her eyes didn't show any judgment just concern.

Peter gulped and tried again. "My whole world has fallen apart, and I can never put it back together again." He was finally able to get out.

He looked up at Pepper with watery eyes but didn't cry. Pepper placed one of her own hands on top of Peter's in his lap.

"I know a lot of things have happened to you in the last few days that you can't change. I know that this has been really hard on you, from Tony's need for control to being kidnapped by another mob just because you were staying here. I wish I could change what has happened to you, but I can't. What I can tell you is that in his own way Tony cares deeply for you and would do practically anything for you. I don't know what the future holds for you, but I can tell you that Tony will support you through whatever endeavors you decide to pursue whether that be school or a career. I have no idea why he has set his eyes on you, but you will want for nothing. James, Jarvis and I will be here to help you, and the dogs love you more than they love Tony. I'm so sorry you were taken from your life, and you've had to go all through all this trauma, but it's going to all be ok."

Pepper's speech made Peter think a lot about his relationship with Tony. If he had met Tony in a different set of circumstances, they would probably have become friends, but as it was, he wasn't sure. Maybe it would be worth taking the time to get to know Tony as not just the mob boss and his kidnapper but as the man himself. He was stuck here anyway, why not make the best of a horrible situation.

"Oh!" Peter almost jumped as Pepper clapped her hands together and stood up from the bed. "I almost forgot, Jarvis ordered some clothes for you, and they just came in. Hold on one minute; I'll go get them." Peter watched curiously as Pepper hurried out of the room on impossibly high heels. She pushed open both doors to wheel in a full wrack of clothing.

Peter would have gotten up if he wasn't still very much naked, but Pepper seemed to pick up on that and excused herself from the room, closing the doors behind her.

Peter pushed the covers back and maneuvered himself around the dogs so he could look at his clothing options. There were a surprising number of choices for him to choose from. They included fancy suits all the way to work out clothes. Peter went for something in the middle. He grabbed a pair of khaki pants and a nice looking long sleeved shirt. He also managed to find a package of new boxers on the bottom in his exact size, plus socks and several pairs of shoes. Peter decided against the shoes and socks he preferred being barefoot but was extremely grateful he no longer had to go commando.

It felt so good to be in clothes that fit again. Peter also reveled in the fact that he could cover most of the marks still covering his body. It helped him to forget at least some of the trauma he had gone through, if not all of it. While he was up, he also used the bathroom and rinsed his mouth out with the mouthwash that was sitting on the bathroom counter.

His stomach growled at him, reminding Peter that it had been a while since he had eaten or had anything to drink for that matter. Peter made his way back into the bedroom and called to the two dogs to follow him as he made his way towards the door. Peter was careful as he walked down to the kitchen trying to make sure he didn't aggravate any of his wounds.

Peter walked into the kitchen to see Jarvis standing there with a magazine open on the counter that he perused as he mixed something in a bowl. Jarvis looked up and smiled when he saw Peter.

"You look very snazzy in those new duds if I do say so myself. How are you feeling?"

"Better," Peter responded shyly as he slid himself into one of the chairs at the breakfast bar.

"You hungry?" Jarvis asked, continuing to mix whatever was in the bowl.

"Yea, actually."

"Great, I've got some sandwiches left in the fridge, or you can wait for me to finish these chocolate chip cookies."

"I'll take a sandwich to start."

"Perfect here you are Mr. Parker."

Peter thanked him and bit into the BLT sandwich that had been placed in front of him. It was delicious. Peter would have moaned if he'd been alone. Peter almost jumped out of his skin when he felt a hand touch his shoulder unexpectedly.

"Oh, Sorry Peter didn't mean to startle you baby boy. Jarvis can I also get a sandwich?" Peter relaxed at hearing Tony's voice.

"Of course, Sir," Jarvis replied.

"I like the clothes, Peter, they suit you," Tony said.

"...Thanks?" Peter replied unsure how to take the compliment.

"Oh, by the way, sir, Ms. Potts received a call from Ms. Hill. It seems she and Mr. Fury will be stopping by later today. Something about an incident in Brooklyn. Do you want to be home, or out when they arrive?" Jarvis asked as he started dropping cookie dough on a cookie sheet.

Tony sighed in response. I might as well talk to them otherwise they'll hound you until they get to me. I'd rather cut it off before they get too invested. Peter, you should probably not be there for that discussion. And I bet you need some more rest after what you've been through."

Peter didn't argue; he was too drained after this morning's revelation to bother. The name Fury sounded familiar.

"Who's Fury?" Peter asked.

"Oh, he's the head of the organized crime unit of the NYPD. He's been trying to put me behind bars for years." Tony replied nonchalantly biting into his sandwich.

"Wait the police are coming here, and you're just going to let them walk in even though you're one of the biggest crime bosses in New York City!?" Peter asked incredulously.

Tony shrugged. "Why not? They can't pin anything on me, and even if they could I have a zillion of the best lawyers in the world on my payroll. I'd never be convicted."

"But.. but but. But you kidnapped me, isn't that like ridiculously illegal." Peter sputtered.

"They don't know that, and if we're talking about kidnapping let's talk about what Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes did to you. You want to tell me exactly what happened?"

Peter dropped his eyes and shook his head. Tony always had a comeback, no matter what it was.

There was a chime, and Tony looked up. "That will be them. Peter head upstairs with the dogs, and if I see you come downstairs before I come up to get you, I don't care how injured you are, you're going to get the punishment of a lifetime got it, baby boy?" Peter nodded and trudged upstairs with the dogs behind him.

Tony watched Peter's back as the young man trudged upstairs, with a sullen set to his shoulders. Tony shook his head chuckling as he made his way to the front door. He was glad he had taken the time to put on one of his more casual suits. He always felt better when he was dressed to the nines. It helped him feel more in control of any situation.

Under normal circumstances, he would let Jarvis open the door while he sat in his imposing office waiting to impress, but he liked keeping the NYPD off guard, it was half the fun. He opened the door, plastering a smile on his face to greet Nick Fury, Maria Hill, and Phil Coulson. This must be really important if all three of them had shown up — fury with his two right hands.

"Well hello lady and gentleman," Tony said leaning flirtatiously against the door jam. "What can I do for you all?"

Nick wasn't in the mood to play along. He shoved a piece of paper at Stark. "I have a search warrant here looking for anything to do with the break-in we were called to investigate in Brooklyn. A witness placed one of your vehicles at the scene."

Tony dropped the act as well, taking the paper from Fury. "What exactly are you all looking for? I hope you're not pulling a Bones and looking for something obscure like diatomaceous earth or something."

"No we're not some ridiculous crime show from TV, we're looking for dogs," Hill replied exasperated.

"Dogs?" Tony asked confused. "I have dogs; everyone knows this; what about my dogs?"

"We'd like to do a swab of their mouths and take a look around your place for anything else that could possibly link you to the incident," Coulson replied, all business.

"Alright, whatever, come on in. I'll be upstairs when you're done looking around. Jarvis will show you around, so you don't get too lost." Tony said motioning them inside. As if on cue Jarvis appeared by the door leading the three detectives towards the kitchen.

This could backfire in Tony's face, but that was ok. After watching that horrible panic attack that Peter had had. He didn't think he could go through that again. He had been terrified when Peter went unresponsive. His breathing had been so bad that Tony was sure the kid had passed out for a little bit. If Peter was to stay this had to be his choice, otherwise there would probably be a repeat performance.

It would kill Tony to watch the boy walk away, but it would be even worse if he broke the boy through his selfishness. In this instance, Peter had all the control, and all Tony could do was sit back and try and hide his terror at losing something so precious to him

Tony made his way upstairs to warn Peter they would be having company. He found the boy sitting cross-legged on the bed flipping through one of his technical manuals on one of his cars with both dogs flopped on either side of him. This one was on his Ferrari Monza sp2. He did love the look of that sweet black convertible. Peter looked up surprised.

"Did your company leave so soon?" Peter asked. Tony loved the way Peter looked with a surprised expression on his face. Frankly, he loved any expression on the kid's face. Peter was just so expressive.

"It seems my company brought a warrant and want to take a look around so you will be meeting them after all," Tony said.

"Oh ummm ok," Peter replied confused and went back to flipping through the pages of the manual. Tony also noticed the rack of clothing was still sitting in the middle of the room. He maneuvered it into the closet and poured himself a scotch, settling himself on the couch, waiting for the arrival of his guests.

Peter had resigned himself to his situation so didn't bother fighting it, besides he still owed Tony for rescuing him from that horrible place.

Peter had looked into engineering a little bit but hadn't really had the time to delve as much as he wanted. He found the manual fascinating. He had no idea so much went into making a car. From the aerodynamics to the engine design. He now understood why Tony loved fiddling with them so much. Maybe he could try sometime. Peter was snapped out of his musing at the sound of people entering the room.

He looked up to see an average height black man enter with a goatee and an eye-patch over one eye. He was followed by a tall brunette, who carried herself with grace and a hint of venom. Last to enter was, a non-descript, partially bald man with a calm demeanor and soft eyes.

Eye-patch man stopped in his tracks and looked at Peter sitting so comfortably on Tony's rumpled master bed, with the dogs beside him. "Who's this Tony? Is he someone new to your gang?"

Tony chuckled from his relaxed spot on the couch. "Sorry let me introduce everyone. Peter this is Nick Fury, Maria Hill, and in the back, there is Phil Coulson. Everyone this is Peter."

Peter stayed where he was but dug his fingers nervously into U's fur for something comforting to grab onto. Both dogs had gone on full alert at the entrance of strangers. Dum-E army crawled down the bed a little putting himself in front of Peter protectively, while U stayed vigilant at Peter's side providing the boy comfort.

The three detectives noticed the dog's response to their presence and stayed respectfully back from the bed which Peter appreciated. He was feeling really uncomfortable with these people in the room.

"So did you find what you were looking for?" Tony asked drawing the detectives attention. Peter was grateful for those searching eyes to no longer be on him.

"All we need is to get a swab from both dogs." Fury responded.

"Well good luck, they get a little protective around Peter, so I'd be careful about approaching them," Tony replied, taking another sip from his scotch.

Fury just nodded at Coulson, who walked towards the bed. The man had reached into his suit pocket and pulled out two little cylindrical containers that looked like plastic test tubes with a stick poking out.

As he moved closer, both dogs started to growl warningly, and Coulson stopped respectively.

"Hey, Peter. Can you do me a favor and swab both of those dogs' mouths." Coulson asked.

Peter was surprised by the question, but if he did it, then that meant these people would be out of here sooner. Peter nodded and reached over both dogs towards Coulson. Both pups stayed quiet but on guard as Peter was handed the two containers. Peter looked down at the two objects in his hand confused.

"What am I supposed to do?" Peter asked.

"Just take the cap off pull out the stick and use the queue-tip end to wipe the gums on both dogs. One tube for each."

Peter nodded in understanding and gently reached for U's head first. The dog was very polite and patient as Peter carefully pulled down part of U's lip to wipe very gently with the long queue-tip. He then placed it into the container. He did the same with Dum-E with the same results. He tossed the two containers back at Coulson.

Coulson caught them with a small smile, "Thanks kid," He put them carefully back into his inside suit jacket pocket, tucking them away for safe-keeping.

"If that's all, I'm sure you can show yourselves out," Tony said casually.

"Actually I wanted to ask Peter here a few questions first if that's alright." Fury spoke up looking directly at Peter.

Tony shrugged. "Ask him."

"I did." Fury shot back.

Peter shrank back under that penetrating gaze. He didn't really feel like answering questions, but he wasn't sure how to get out of it without getting into more trouble. He nodded tentatively.

"Does your last name happen to be Parker?" Fury asked.

Peter's eyes shot up like a deer in headlights. Fury smirked.

"I'll take that as a yes. Your aunt is very worried about you. She's been down at the station for the last two days straight. She will be thrilled to know that you have been found safe and sound. So you want to tell me why you're really here kid. I promise that no harm will come to you when you speak the truth." Fury pointed at Stark. "If this man is holding you against your will, I will be more than happy to arrest him here and now. So what do you say?"

Peter sat frozen holding the technical manual loosely in his hands forgotten. He could tell everyone right now that he had been kidnapped and tortured. He could tell these people everything he had heard. He could get Stark sent to prison for years…. But what about Pepper, Jarvis, the dogs, even James. He couldn't do that to them. Besides Stark saved his life. He wouldn't be alive if it hadn't been for Tony. Granted Tony got him into this mess in the first place, but he had still come after him and taken care of him. But maybe… he could be able to see May again. He felt so bad for making her worry so much over him. This was such a hard decision.

Peter looked from the three detectives over to where Tony sat quietly on the couch. Tony looked at him and just nodded his head. This was Peter's decision. Peter felt a welling of emotion come up and buried his head in U's fur. He had no idea what to do, what choice was the right one? Did he tell these people the truth or lie?

**I need your help! You get to decide what happens next. Does Peter tell the truth or lie? It's up to you! Leave it in the reviews.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Wow, guys, I am blown away by all these responses. I am so sorry for my long absence but life got busy and writer's block is a bitch. But here we are. So some of you may be happy with my choice others might not be. My explanation for why is at the bottom for those who would like to know why. Enjoy ;)**

Peter couldn't decide. He felt so lost and confused. He wished Aunt May was here. Wait! He could see Aunt May, but could he do that to Tony? Peter decided on a half-truth: He would stay loyal to Tony, but he needed to get out of here for his sanity.

Peter sat back up firming his resolve. He could do this. He wasn't betraying Tony, he just needed to get the fuck out of there.

"I was captured, by someone named Cap, and another man named Barnes. Tony rescued me." Peter said in a rush, not looking in Tony's direction. "Can I see my aunt?"

"Of course you can, she will be very happy to see you, too. Are you sure that's what happened? I give you my word no harm will come to you." Fury said, arching his brow above his good eye.

Peter nodded his head and met Fury's eyes determined. "Tony didn't hurt me, it was Barnes and that Cap guy. See?" Peter pulled back the sleeve of his shirt revealing the whip marks. "And see?" Peter pulled the shirt up revealing his torso and all the marks and bruises covering it, he turned so they could see his back too.

He heard a gasp from someone and pulled his shirt down, feeling exposed enough without people investigating his wounds even more. Peter's eyes were full of tears when he turned to face the three detectives.

Tony spoke for the first time in a while. "He was whipped by Steve Rogers and James Barnes. I went to their place and found Peter naked, injured, and drugged lying on the floor last night. I brought him back here to heal and recover."

Fury stood thinking, he looked between where Peter was sitting on the bed and where Tony was sitting on the couch, having leaned forward to show his earnestness.

"Alright. We will put an APB out for Steve Rogers and James Barnes. In the meantime, we can take Peter home. Next time Peter, the first thing you should do is contact the police rather than waiting. We are here to help you. Tony should know this as well." Fury looked over at Tony and glowered, but Tony didn't seem to notice. All his attention was focused on Peter.

Peter finally felt brave enough to meet Tony's eyes. He expected anger, but was surprised to see that Tony's expression was blank.

He had seen the man angry, lustful, passionate, stern, loving, caring, concerned, happy, amused, frightened, and content; but never this. Tony was magnanimous and expressive, he didn't do emotionless. It almost looked like Tony was frozen in time, except Peter could see him breathing. It was eerie.

Peter couldn't look at him anymore. Not this blank Tony Stark. He had to get out of here.

"Can we go now? Please." Peter hopped off the bed and walked out of the room before anyone could move one way or another. He didn't look back as he made his way down the grand staircase and to the front door. He didn't care that he was only wearing socks and had no idea where he could find a pair of shoes. He was getting out of this house and away from the stranger that was sitting in Tony's body with no emotion. He was going home.

2 WEEKS LATER.

Peter sat in his room and stared at his physics homework, not understanding a word he read. This was basic physics. Well not exactly, it was AP physics review material, which he had aced at 16. Now at 18, he stared at it, uncomprehending.

1 week, 6 days and 20 hours ago he had walked out of Stark's house and hadn't looked back. 1 week, 6 days and 19 hours ago he had embraced Aunt May for the first time in three days. He had bawled like a little baby. For the last two weeks, he hadn't slept more than 3 hours straight.

His nights had been full of nightmares and terrors. He would wake up screaming as he was once again trussed up and being whipped without mercy by Rogers and Barnes. The next night he would wake up, panting and gasping for breath, with a hard-on so painful the cloth of his boxers was too much to bear.

He would reach down to touch himself, getting so close but then hear Stark's words in his head again. '_It's mine and no one touches what is mine except me._' Peter just couldn't. He would lay there aching for hours, tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable, or think of anything else besides his aching cock.

On one hand, he was furious with himself about the amount of control he allowed Tony Stark to have over him, even now. On the other, he missed the man terribly.

So instead of dealing with how messed up he now was, he went to school, came home, did homework, hugged Aunt May, and didn't say a word.

Peter was sure she noticed, she was observant like that, but she hadn't said anything and he was grateful for that fact. Even if he had been willing, he didn't think he would have been able to talk about it. How did a person explain what he had gone through for those three days? How did he explain how much he had liked, no, loved some of the things that had happened?

Waking up in Tony's arms that morning had been...indescribable. He had felt so at peace, and safe, and cared for. He would say loved, but, not quite. At one moment he had felt like an object, then the next he had felt human during those three days.

The other change that had occurred in the last two weeks is that Peter had a police escort wherever he went. Barnes and Rogers were still on the loose, and Fury was taking 'every precaution necessary'. His words not Peter's.

And then there was Ned: Ned who was his best friend in the entire world and neither of them could look each other in the eye. Ned knew the truth or at least some of it. Ned felt horrible for the danger he put Peter in, and Peter, well, Peter had betrayed his best friend. Peter knew they were both trapped in this awkward situation due to their guilt for hurting the other person, but he didn't know how to fix it.

Peter was exhausted, confused, depressed, and lonely, with no solution out that he could think of.

"Peter!"

Peter looked up from his physics, hearing Aunt May calling for him from the living room.

He got out of his desk chair, stretched and shuffled his way out of his bedroom and towards the combined living and kitchen area.

"What Aunt May?" He said entering the room.

"Package for you. Did you order something online again without telling me?"

Peter didn't answer just looked at the small box with no return address sitting on the kitchen counter. He hadn't ordered anything. He didn't want to stress out Aunt May with an anonymous package after the scare she'd experienced two weeks ago. So he just picked up the package and smiled at her sheepishly, making his way back to his bedroom. She laughed behind him and called: "Next time, tell me so I can keep an eye out."

"I will." He called back as he shut his bedroom door.

Peter set the package down on his desk gently, staring at it like it was a bomb. He had no idea why it was here, or who it was from but he didn't like it. He should probably figure out what the hell it was, who knew what other dangers he had been thrown into by spending time with mob bosses.

Peter oh so carefully pulled back the tape and carefully opened the flaps of the unassuming box. Inside was a phone and a note.

Peter started with the letter. It read:

_Peter,_

_This is to replace your phone that was damaged due to the unfortunate circumstances that occurred two weeks ago. We will not be replacing the camera due to the fact that it broke when in your care. You are welcome to pick up the camera at PO box 35576. Apologies for any inconvenience._

_From,_

_The Iron Man Mob._

And scrawled at the bottom was a little handwritten note:

_My number is programmed in._

_T_

Peter sat back in shock staring at the note clenched in his white-fingered grip. His mind blank.

The first part of the message was typed and felt impersonal but that scrawled note by Tony? Peter wasn't sure what to do. Should he take the free phone and delete the number, throw the whole thing away, stash the phone somewhere and forget about it? He wasn't sure. For now, he decided to just set the phone aside and not think about it until tomorrow.

It was around noon on Monday, and he had a physics review quiz tomorrow that he hadn't studied for. Well, he had tried but failed to earlier in the week so he needed to do it now.

Peter spent the rest of the day staring at the papers in front of him, doing a problem, erasing it because he did it wrong, then rewriting again. This went on for the majority of the practice questions. Peter finally tossed in the towel at 9:30 pm having only gotten through half of the problems that he had wanted to.

Peter crawled into bed after stripping out of his Jurassic Park t-shirt and old high school sweatpants. He prepared himself for another long night of tossing and turning, but he was hoping his mental exhaustion would give him at least a few more hours than he had been getting in the past.

He pulled his sheet and comforter over himself and closed his eyes trying to think of something other than Tony Stark.

Peter was able to sleep for almost three hours before he was awoken by yet another erotic dream involving Tony. This one had been a little different than the previous ones: he had dreamt that Tony had Peter tied and sitting in his lap, while Tony teased and tortured Peter. The torment had felt like it had gone on for hours. Peter shot up from a cold sweat and looked down groaning at his engorged cock. He flopped himself back grabbed his pillow and screamed into it with frustration.

Peter was so done. He flung himself out of bed and started pacing around the room. It was a little awkward with a hard-on, but Peter ignored it. He was so restless and itchy with pent up energy.

His gaze fell on the box that still held the new phone. He didn't think just moved forward and grabbed the phone out of the box. It was a brand new iPhone X. He powered it on and waited impatiently as the apple logo lit up the screen. The home screen came up with a generic picture of scenery, Peter unlocked the phone, glad he didn't have to deal with finding a password or anything. Apps appeared on the screen. Peter looked through them searching for the Messenger App. He found it, clicked on it, then clicked out realizing he needed to go to the contacts. Peter clicked on contacts, opening the app and saw there, right in front of him a contact: Tony Stark, with a phone number underneath.

Peter hesitated his thumb hovering over the text symbol. Peter tossed the phone down on his bed and started pacing again. What the hell was he thinking, what would he even say? _Hey, it's me, Peter, thanks for the phone, now get out of my head? _or, even worse, _I need you, come get me?_

Peter roughly ran his hands through his hair pulling on it. The pain was good, it helped ground and center him. He could think about this logically, process this. This was obviously Stockholm Syndrome shit, he had identified with his captor. Screw it.

Peter dived for the bed grabbing the phone, that still showed the contact page for Tony Stark. Peter ended up kneeling by the side of his bed. Most of his upper body laying on the bed with his elbows down and the phone in front of his face. Peter clicked on the text symbol, his thumbs hovering over the keyboard that came up. Now what? Peter stared blankly at the screen. He had no idea what to say. Peter kneeled there for ten minutes staring at the screen before typing out one word and hitting send.

_12:13 am_

_Peter: Why?_

After typing those words Peter locked the phone and tossed it on the bed by his pillow. He buried his face in his hands, scrubbing at his eyes.

The phone chimed, Peter looked up and stared at the phone, not believing he had heard what he thought he heard. Two minutes later the phone chimed again. Peter snatched for it. He looked at the lock screen with trembling fingers.

_12:15 am_

_Tony: I couldn't help myself._

Peter almost threw the phone down, smashing it. _Really? That was all Tony could think to say? That he couldn't help himself? _Peter ground his teeth and unlocked the phone. He typed furiously.

_12:18 am_

_Peter: Not good enough you bastard._

The reply was practically instant.

_12:18 am_

_Tony: I thought we talked about your language._

_12:19 am_

_Peter: FUCK YOU, YOU MOTHER FUCKER._

_12:20 am_

_Tony: I guess we will have to have another discussion about that. Smh. Also, your statement is entirely inaccurate. One, I have never had sex with a mother, and two I would be happy to have sex with you._

_12:25 am_

_Peter: Asshole._

_12:25 am_

_Tony: I do have one...what about it? Do you want to see it?_

Peter dropped his head into the bed covers. ' _How could someone be so ridiculously infuriating?' _Peter thought. These texts reminded Peter of how Tony Stark bantered with Jarvis and Rhodes. Tony was being witty and snippy, Peter had no doubt that the man was having fun.

_12:27 am_

_Tony: But seriously, how are you feeling? Did your cuts and bruises heal ok? How about the drug? Any more side effects?_

_12:28 am_

_Peter: I'm fine Tony, everything is healed and my world is back to normal._

_12:29 am_

_Tony: If everything was back to normal you wouldn't be sending me why texts at half past midnight. What happened?_

Tony was just way too perceptive for Peter to handle. Even when texting the boy felt like an open book to the man. Another text appeared on the screen.

_12:30 am_

_Tony: Peter?_

_12:30 am_

_Peter: Nothing happened, I told you already I'm fine._

_12:31 am_

_Tony: You're lying to me and you know I hate when people lie to me. Now tell me the truth, I won't let this go until you do._

Peter knew Tony would hound this into the ground. Even if he turned off and chucked the phone, he just knew Tony would find a way to get the truth out of him. Peter wasn't prepared to be entirely honest, but he could go with a half-truth.

_12:35 am_

_Peter:...I'm not sleeping well._

_12:35 am_

_Tony: Nightmares?_

_12:36 am_

_Peter: Yea._

_12:36 am_

_Tony: Want to talk about them?_

_12:37 am_

_Peter: No._

_12:38 am_

_Tony: Rogers and Barnes will never touch you again. I promise you that._

_12:39 am_

_Peter: How can you make a promise like that?_

_12:40 am_

_Tony: I just did, and I always keep my promises. You are safe from them. The police have their people and I have mine._

_12:41 am_

_Peter: You mean you know where they are? Do you have them?_

_12:43 am_

_Tony: ...No, and no, unfortunately, but I'm close. I'm also close to finding the ring leader behind it all._

_12:44 am_

_Peter: What about Aunt May? Is she safe from all of this?_

_12:44 am_

_Tony: I promise you Peter that no harm will come to your Aunt. She will be safe, you have my word._

Peter breathed a sigh of relief. His aunt was safe. It made him nervous that not even Tony Stark's gang could find Barnes or Rogers. Tony had millions of dollars worth of resources at his fingertips, plus his criminal connections.

_12:50 am_

_Peter: Thank you. I trust you._

_12:51 am_

_Tony: You're welcome baby boy._

_12:51 am_

_Peter: Why do you call me that?_

_12:52 am_

_Tony: Because I can._

_12:53 am_

_Peter: That's been your response to everything. Are you ever going to tell me why?_

_12:55 am_

_Tony: Do you really want to know?_

_12:55 am_

_Peter: YES!_

_12:57 am_

_Tony: I don't have a good reason. I saw something I wanted and I took it. That's why._

_12:58 am_

_Peter: But why me? Why not a hundred other people? What is it about ME?_

_12:59 am_

_Tony: ...You really don't see it do you? I told you before, that last morning. Don't you remember what I said? I would be a fool to not want you._

_1:01 am_

_Peter: ...So it was just physical?_

_1:01 am_

_Tony: No._

_1:02 am_

_Peter: Then what?_

_1:04 am_

_Tony: It's everything. Your reactions, expressions, body, mind. What do you want me to say, Peter? You're irresistible._

_1:07 am_

_Peter: Then why let me go?_

_1:08 am_

_Tony: Your panic attack._

_1:08 am_

_Peter: What about it?_

_1:11 am_

_Tony: I couldn't watch you go through another one of those. But I am wondering if you leaving helped at all..._

_1:12 am_

_Peter: I have a quiz tomorrow, I need to go._

_1:13 am_

_Tony: Good night. I'm always here,_

Peter locked the phone without responding. He laid his head down on the bed and closed his eyes. Why the fuck did he feel so much more at peace after talking to Tony?

Tony set his phone down and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was sitting at his desk in his office with forgotten paperwork scattered across it. His only thought was that Peter had texted him. The boy had reached out. Well, kind of. Peter was definitely upset with him, but Tony could work with that. As long as Peter wasn't indifferent he could work with any emotion the boy gave him.

It was also nice to know he wasn't the only one suffering. He was worried about Peter's nightmares though. If he was there he could have helped Peter through them, but he wasn't He could only watch the boy from afar through his lackeys, but now. Now he could text Peter. Make sure the kid was doing ok. God this was all so hard for him. He wanted so badly to get in his car, drive to Peter's apartment and hold the boy in his arms again.

Soon.

Soon he would have Rogers and Barnes in chains, at his mercy, and he would have his baby boy safe under his care once again. Soon. All he had to do was be patient.

**My Reasoning:**

**I know some of you wanted Peter to stay with Tony, but I had to stay true to the characters. Peter thanked Tony for rescuing him by staying loyal and not telling them that Tony kidnapped him but, Peter needed to leave in order for him to grow. Tony has a smothering personality, and Peter needed to be away from that in order for him to figure out what he wanted. I want this story to have a happy ending, and in order for that to happen in my eyes, Peter needs the chance to decide for himself what he wants. I also think this is a great growing point for Tony. He needs to learn that he can't always control everything and that's ok. He needs to trust Peter to come back to him in his own time. This also proves that he loves Peter more than he loves control. Some of you may not like this decision and that's ok, all I ask is that you respect it.**


	14. Chapter 14

**I'm sorry about the code issue. just keep telling me when it happens and I will fix it. It pisses me off too.**

Peter mentally limped out of his Physics class after the review quiz. He knew he had bombed it spectacularly like every other class assignment since returning. He found it impossible to concentrate. His head was full of worry, stress, and anxiety that he was unable to rid himself of, no matter how hard he tried.

He stumbled into the bathroom and made his way to a stall, banging the door shut behind him as he sat down hard on the toilet. Peter put his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands, trying hard not to cry.

He reached into his front right pocket and pulled out his new iPhone X. He stared down at it, unblinking. Suddenly he was furious. Peter unlocked the phone with impatient fingers and typed a text, hitting send.

10:52 am

Peter: THIS IS ALL YOUR FUCKING FAULT!

10:52 am

Tony: Things usually are but what are you talking about specifically baby boy?

10:53 am

Peter: DON'T EVER CALL ME THAT AGAIN!

10:53 am

Tony: Why not baby boy? It suits you.

Peter screamed out loud and almost chucked the phone, but before he could he heard someone quickly leave the bathroom, the door shutting behind them. Peter froze, his fist clenched around the phone ready to smash it on the ground. Tony was the most infuriating person Peter had ever met. All of this was his fault. Everything, his nightmares, his school work, his relationship with Ned and Aunt May. Tony was to blame.

10:57 am

Peter: I hate you.

10:58 am

Tony: I know you do. It's ok I'm here whenever you need me.

Peter looked down at the text. A tear dropped from his face and landed on the screen. Peter wiped it away with trembling fingers. Even with all of his raging, Tony still cared.

Peter finally understood why he was texting Tony instead of talking to Aunt May or Ned. It was because Tony could take his rage and emotions being tossed at him. Peter couldn't do this with Aunt May. He couldn't shout and curse at her like he could with Tony. Peter's relationship with Ned was too unstable for Peter to even show how badly he was affected by everything let alone talk about it. But with Tony Peter could throw abuses at him and the man wouldn't even blink. He just came back with witty responses that made Peter smile despite himself. He was a safe target.

11:05 am

Tony: What's wrong baby?

Peter almost laughed.

11:06 am

Peter: Everything.

11:06 am

Tony: I got that, but what specifically set you off?

11:08 am

Peter: I bombed my physics review quiz.

11:09 am

Tony: The one you told me about last night?

11:09 am

Peter: ...Yea.

11:10 am

Tony: I'm sorry to hear that baby boy. Was it hard material?

11:11 am

Peter: No. …..Just couldn't concentrate.

11:12 am

Tony: Have you been having trouble concentrating since you got back?

11:13 am

Peter: Yes.

11:14 am

Tony: So trouble sleeping due to nightmares, trouble concentrating on school. Anything else I'm missing?

There were things Tony was missing but Peter didn't want to tell Tony what they were.

11:17 am

Peter: No.

11:18 am

Tony: Peter you're lying again. Look, you don't have to tell me what they are, just don't lie to me.

11:18 am

Peter: Fine there's more. And no I'm not telling you.

11:19 am

Tony: Good boy. I'm here if you ever want to talk about it.

Peter grimaced at his body's reaction to reading those two words. The shot of pleasure that ran down his spine was not the reaction he wanted to have to that patronizing statement. He put the phone back in his right pocket and made his way out of the bathroom feeling a lot calmer. His next class was organic chemistry, his most difficult class all semester. Peter trudged his way through the science building to his classroom. He sat in the back and waited for the rest of the class to file in. The class started at noon, but Peter used the extra time to work on the homework he hadn't finished for the class.

At least he tried to. Like every other time, he just stared at the paper feeling lost. He sat there for ten minutes before pulling out his phone again.

11:41 am

Peter: It's getting worse.

11:42 am

Tony: Will you let me help you?

Peter thought about what that question could mean. But he was tired of living like this. If he didn't do something, the path he was currently on would kill him. Any change from this would be better than nothing.

11:49 am

Peter: Yes.

11:50 am

Tony: Good boy.

People started drifting into the classroom and Peter hastily hid the phone under the desk. Peter sat almost motionless as class began. The lecture went in one ear and out the other. All Peter could think about is what he had just agreed to.

The rest of the school day flew by in a haze. He blinked and class was over, he blinked again and he was on the subway headed home. He blinked once more and he was walking up the stairs to his apartment.

He opened the door to the apartment, knowing that Aunt May was still at work. He set his keys down on the kitchen counter and made his way to the bedroom pushing open the door and stopped dead in his tracks.

Tony Stark sat in his desk chair wearing his quintessential three-piece suit.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Peter demanded.

Tony looked up from the textbook he had been reading. He sighed snapping the textbook shut with one hand. He set it on the desk as he stood.

"Peter this is the sixth time you have sworn at me in the last two days and I'm tired of it. I know you are surprised, I know you're angry and upset, but I have very few rules. Don't lie to me, Don't swear at me, and don't betray me." Tony moved towards him.

Peter launched himself at Tony and beat at the man's chest screaming his rage at what he had gone through since meeting the man.

"YOU DID THIS! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU DID THIS TO ME! HOW COULD YOU?! HOW DARE YOU SHOW UP HERE LIKE THIS?!" Peter shouted at Tony, pounding him with his fists.

Tony just wrapped his arms around Peter and pulled the boy into his chest. Peter went stock still in the hug for a few seconds, then he just lost it. Tears flowed from his eyes. He wrapped his arms around Tony's waist and held on for dear life. He sobbed into the man's chest.

"I know baby, I know. I'm so sorry, but I'm here now." Tony soothed Peter, rubbing his hands up and down Peter's back in long gentle strokes.

"I h…..ha...hate….y...yo...you" Peter sobbed out, still clutching Tony to him.

"I know," Tony responded wrapping his arms even tighter around the sobbing boy.

"Y..yo..you….di...did...th..this..to..me"

"I know, I'm so sorry." Tony continued to sooth.

"WHY!" Peter finally cried out as his arms let go of Tony, his legs buckling underneath him. Tony held on and followed Peter to the ground. He knelt still holding the boy who still sobbed unable to support himself under the crushing weight of emotions.

Tony didn't reply to Peter's question, but honestly, Peter didn't care. Tony was here. Tony was holding him. Everything that had been pent up for the last two weeks could come out and be released. The weight was slowly lifting as Peter cried it away. His chest that had felt tight since he had left the mansion finally loosened and Peter could truly breathe again. He sucked in air, desperately filling his lungs, terrified the second Tony left he would be back to where he was, chest tight, and unable to truly breathe.

Peter finally cried himself out. They ended up with Tony sitting on the floor with his back leaning against the desk, the man's legs splayed out in front of him with Peter sitting sideways between them, his legs laying over Tony's right thigh his head resting against Tony's chest, and Tony's arms wrapped securely around the boy. A comfortable silence engulfed the two.

"What are you doing here?" Peter finally sniffed out.

"I'm here to help," Tony replied. "You said you needed help concentrating, so I thought I'd come over and help you study. Turns out what you really needed was a solid cry."

"Fuck you." Peter quipped back, but there was no heat to his words.

"Peter," Tony said warningly.

Peter just snorted a laugh. The boy heard Tony's head thump back against the desk.

"If I wasn't so comfortable, and you weren't in such a delicate emotional state, your ass would be black and blue right now."

Peter was surprised that he didn't even tense at the words. He knew Tony was serious, but he had no fear of the man. He trusted Tony, and that scared the shit out of him. Well, it was more than just that, he not only trusted Tony, he was glad Tony was here.

"My aunt will be home soon," Peter said changing the subject.

"I'm well aware. Do you want me to meet her?"

Peter jerked himself up to look Tony in the eye crying "NO!"

Tony just chuckled. "Ouch, you really don't want to introduce me to your family. You've met mine, should be tit for tat don't you think?"

"Not happening. You need to leave before she gets here." Peter stood up and started tugging on Tony trying to pull the man to his feet.

"Peter stop pulling at me. She's not going to see me, and she won't be home for another hour or so."

Peter let go and started pacing the room anxiously.

"What if she changed her schedule? And what about the police force outside? They could find you here at any second and Fury would take any excuse to throw you in jail. You know how stupid you are being?"

Tony got slowly to his feet and put his hand out, grabbing Peter's arm and pulling the boy to a halt.

"Stop. You're going to make yourself sick with all this stressing. I can tell you've already lost some weight, there are bags under your eyes, and you look pale. If you continue going like this you're going to end up in a hospital, or worse."

Peter took a deep breath in and let it out in a sigh, trying to calm himself down.

"Better. Have you eaten anything today?" Tony asked.

Peter blanched at the question. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he had had a solid meal. He hadn't really been hungry the last two weeks. Too nauseous to really consider it. He heard Tony sigh.

"I had a feeling so I got J to put together some sandwiches for you. They're in the fridge, come on. I'm going to make sure you eat something before I leave." Tony let go of Peter and started heading for the bedroom door.

Peter sprinted forward so he was in front of Tony blocking the door.

"Wait, I'll go get it, you shouldn't be out there in case Aunt May comes home."

Tony folded his arms over his chest and looked at Peter before sighing. "Alright fine. Bring the sandwiches back here. I promised J and Pepper that I would see you eat something before I left."

Peter was a little surprised at Tony's statement. He had no idea that Pepper and Jarvis cared about him that much. It was nice to have other people worry about him then just Aunt May and Ned.

Peter made his way into the kitchen quickly and opened the fridge. He immediately spotted the sandwiches. They were in a brown paper bag that was elegantly labeled 'for Mr. Peter Parker'. Peter smiled. It had to have been Jarvis that wrote it. No one else called him Mr. anything.

He grabbed the bag and headed back to his bedroom making sure to shut and lock the door behind him. Just in case.

Tony was back to sitting in his desk chair and perusing his textbooks. Peter looked at which textbook Tony was flipping through. It was his physics textbook.

"What are you doing?" Peter asked.

"Just looking. You know I have a bachelors in engineering and a masters in engineering and physics right?" Tony said still flipping through the book.

"What?" Peter asked stunned. He had known Tony was smart but he hadn't expected the man to have gotten not just one, but two masters.

"Yea, but that was a long time ago. Now I just run the family business and tinker on the side."

Peter sat down on the bed hard. He was learning so much about Tony. He knew a lot about the man's personality but these things like 'Where did you go to school?' 'What did you study?' 'Do you like pineapple on your pizza? These were questions he had no idea about, nor had he realized that he wanted to know the answers to those kinds of questions.

"Peter, eat. If I bring back a bad report saying you didn't eat. Not only will Jarvis skin me alive, but I have no doubt he will show up here and force feed you himself."

Peter looked up to see that Tony had rotated the desk chair so he was facing Peter, the textbook open and forgotten in his hands.

Peter opened the paper bag he still clutched in his hand and reached in it, pulling out a wrapped PB & J on white bread. Peter hadn't had one of these since he was, like, 10.

He unwrapped it and bit into it almost groaning with pleasure. He had forgotten just how delicious a good old PB & J sandwich could be.

"Can you thank Jarvis for me?" Peter asked through a mouthful of sandwich.

Tony chuckled in response, nodding. Peter finished the sandwich in less than five minutes and pulled out the second one. He had forgotten what it felt like to actually want to eat food and then enjoy it. Everything he had put in his mouth over the last two weeks had tasted like sandpaper.

Peter finished the second sandwich, then got up and left the room once more to throw out his trash and grab a glass of milk before returning. Tony watched him from the doorway of his bedroom, moving aside gracefully as Peter re-entered the room and sat back down on the bed with his glass of milk. He drained it in a few gulps and set the empty glass on his nightstand.

"Want any help with your physics homework before I leave?" Tony asked, gesturing towards the open textbook he had set down on the desk when he had gotten up to watch Peter.

Peter looked at the book consideringly but shook his head. He had a bit of a headache from all that crying and he was frankly exhausted.

"I actually think I'm going to try and take a nap."

"That sounds like a good plan. I'll join you." Tony responded and started stripping off his suit jacket and pulling at his tie.

Peter wasn't sure what he should do. His bed was a twin so he wasn't sure how they were both going to fit, plus he wasn't sure if he wanted to sleep next to Tony in the first place.

Tony moved in front of him and Peter noticed the man had taken off everything but his socks, dress pants, and a tank top. Even his belt was draped across the back of Peter's desk chair.

"Come on Peter, we could both use it. To tell you the truth I haven't been sleeping well either." Tony pulled the covers back and sat down on the edge of the bed, facing Peter.

Peter deliberated but decided 'what the hell'. He was already messed up, what was one more thing to add to the list? He cautiously kicked off his shoes and moved towards the bed. He climbed and put his face towards the wall. Tony sighed behind him but shifted so he was spooning Peter from behind. Peter shifted a little so he could get himself more comfortable. His head pillowed on Tony's bicep, and Tony's other arm wrapped securely around his waist.

Peter would never say it, but it felt really good to be in Tony's arms again. He let his mind drift and before he knew it he had drifted off to sleep.

"WHAT THE HELL!"

Peter was startled awake by the sound of a shout and sat up in bed fast, looking over Tony's shoulder. The man just groaned and stayed where he was. Peter looked dead into Aunt May's eyes as she stood in the doorway one hand covering her heart. He had forgotten to lock the door after his second trip.

Well shit.


	15. Chapter 15

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE? PETER WHO IS THIS? WHAT THE FUCK IS HE DOING IN YOUR BED? I WANT ANSWERS NOW!"

Aunt May didn't usually shout or swear, but when she did she meant business. Peter flinched as her words pounded into him. Tony grumbled beside him and slowly sat up to face May.

"Ma'am can you please stop shouting you're scaring Peter." Tony yawned as he stretched his arms over his head.

"Excuse me!? What the fuck is your problem?! You have no right to talk to me like that! You are a middle-aged man lying in a bed with my 18-year-old nephew you're the one with the problems. NOW GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE." Aunt May directed all her rage at Tony, sparing Peter.

Peter couldn't be more grateful to Tony for the distraction he caused. He hated how easily Tony had read him. But it didn't change the fact that like a knight in shining armor the man had stepped in and shielded Peter from his Aunt's rage.

"You know technically this isn't a house. It's an apartment, and you also technically don't own it. You're a tenant. So it's not your house." Tony replied all coolness.

Peter watched in awe as Aunt May's face went from a flushed red to almost purple.

"YOU ARROGANT, CONDESCENDING ASS HAT. GET THE FUCK OUT." Aunt May was screeching now.

Tony just folded his arms across his broad chest and leaned back against Peter, trapping the boy behind him. Tony wasn't light either. Peter sat back so his own back was against the wall and Tony's Head was resting against his chest.

"Why?" Tony asked.

Aunt May's chest heaved with every intake of breath she drew. Peter was a little worried she might pass out.

"BECAUSE I TOLD YOU TO. GET OFF MY NEPHEW. PETER! GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!" Aunt May stalked towards the bed, she reached out a hand to grab Peter's arm and pull him away.

She didn't make it. Tony's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist stopping her before she could touch Peter.

"This is between you and me." Tony's voice had darkened and turned serious. His eyes flashed and his whole body had gone tense and aggressive.

"Let go of me." Aunt May's voice had changed she sounded….scared.

Tony held on for another thirty seconds before slowly letting go.

"Who are you?" May asked her voice coming out in a hoarse whisper.

"Oh, my apologies, I'm Tony Stark, I rescued Peter from Rogers and Barnes." Tony reached out a hand.

"You're Tony Stark?!" May didn't shake Tony's hand she just looked at him with shock. "You're the mob boss?! What are you doing here?"

"I came to help Peter with his homework, he's been having trouble concentrating the last two weeks, and I did pretty well in physics so I thought I'd come help out," Tony replied.

"Are you serious? How do you explain being in Peter's bed, and why the hell are you leaning against him?" May was getting back her confidence.

"Have you even noticed how bad Peter looks? Since I saw him two weeks ago he looks like he's lost 10 pounds, he hasn't been sleeping, he can't concentrate in school. And you're just ignoring all of this?" As Tony spoke his voice became louder and he leaned forward towards Aunt May. He slowly got off the bed still speaking. "It's your responsibility as a member of his family to take care of him, no matter that he's an adult now. Anyone can see that he's hurting. You claim to care about him yet you've done nothing." At this point, Tony was towering over Aunt May.

Peter couldn't take this anymore, he got off the bed and grabbed Tony's arm. The man froze and turned back to look at Peter, his face softening.

"It's not May's fault, she was giving me space. I didn't want to talk about it and she was respecting that. Now would you both stop yelling at each other?! I'm so tired of people shouting." Peter said.

"Oh, Peter." Aunt May said and moved forward engulfing Peter in a warm loving hug. Peter sniffed and wrapped his arms around May, holding onto her tightly.

"You seem to know an awful lot. Want to explain to me why you were in Peter's bed?" May was still holding Peter to her, but she glared up at Tony.

"He hasn't been sleeping, I was hoping that having someone there next to him would keep him grounded and help keep the nightmares away. No matter what you think May, I care about your nephew and want to make sure that he's ok, which he obviously isn't right now." Tony replied.

There was a silence as May looked down unable to meet Tony's eyes anymore.

"There is one other reason why I stopped by today. I found out some more information about Rogers and Barnes and what happened when Peter was kidnapped." Tony said changing the subject.

Peter stiffened and drew back from May. He looked at Tony and saw Tony looking straight back at him.

"I found out who engineered the whole thing. His name is Thanos." Tony said.

"What the hell does this Thanos person want with Peter?!" Aunt May burst out.

"To get back at me. And I think for his own sadistic reasons."

"What?" May demanded. "What the hell does kidnapping Peter have to do with getting back at you. How do you two even know each other?"

Peter wasn't sure how to answer that one, so he just looked at Tony helplessly.

"That's a story for another time. I need to head out anyways, I have more work I need to , Rogers, and Barnes are still on the loose. Either of you call me if something happens, I also have some of my people watching the apartment just in case." Tony looked straight at Aunt May. "I made a promise to Peter that I would keep you both safe. I never break a promise, come to me anytime with any problem and I will help. Here's my card." Tony reached into his back pocket, and pulled out one of his cards, and handed it to Aunt May. "See you both later." Tony grabbed his things and walked out of Peter's bedroom. Neither Peter or May moved until they heard the front door close.

Peter sat down on the bed and stared at his hands. He wasn't exactly sure what just happened. He hadn't wanted to introduce Aunt May and Tony in the best of situations, this had been one of the worst he could have imagined.

Aunt May walked over and sat down beside Peter and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I am so sorry I didn't do anything." there was a pause. "I knew you were hurting, but I thought you would come talk to me about it and I was waiting for you to do that before I intervened. Instead, you felt the need to go to someone else for help. You don't have to keep things from me. I'm here for you, and will always love you unconditionally no matter what. Anything you need, I'm here."

She leaned in and kissed Peter's temple before standing to walk out of the room. Before she could leave; Peter reached out and grabbed her hand, stopping her from leaving.

"I'm sorry." Peter choked out. "I should have talked to you, but I didn't know how to. I still don't." Tears filled Peter's eyes.

"Oh, Peter." May sat down on the bed beside Peter and wrapped him in her arms.

"A lot happened in those three days. Some of it was horrible, some of it….."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I should have been here for you no matter what happened and that was on me. I heard you screaming some nights and I didn't come in because I didn't want to invade your space, but I should have. I should have made sure you were eating and paid more attention." May whispered into Peter's hair.

"I don't think I would have let you help anyways. I didn't realize how much I was holding onto until I saw Tony earlier today."

"How do you know him in the first place? It sounds like the reason you were kidnapped in the first place was because of him."

"...It's complicated. The important thing is that I trust him, and if anything happens he would protect both of us with his life."

"What are you talking about?"

Peter grabbed May's shoulders and looked her dead in the eye. "Those men that hung me up and tortured me are still out there. They're dangerous. They will do anything to hurt me or Tony and that means you could be in danger too."

May looked at Peter searchingly. Whatever she saw there must have convinced her of how serious he was.

"Ok." She finally said. "I don't trust him, but I trust you."

May stood up after giving Peter another kiss on the forehead.

"I'm going to go make dinner, any special requests?" May called after her as she left.

"Spaghetti….with meatballs?" Peter asked hopefully.

May turned her head back to face Peter and grinned "Of course."

Peter grinned back, giving the first real smile since being kidnapped.

Things weren't perfect, but they were better. Peter heard a dinging sound and felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out to see a message from Tony.

5:36 pm

Tony: I'm sorry I couldn't stay. How are you feeling? Is everything ok with May? Make sure you eat some dinner or I'll sic Jarvis on you.

5:37 pm

Peter: Everything's fine. You worry too much.

5:38 pm

Tony: Considering how bad you looked when I saw you today, I haven't been worrying enough.

5:39 pm

Peter: OMG you're smothering with how much you worry and now you've got May on board with the smothering.

5:40 pm

Tony: Good.

5:41 pm

Peter: Tell Jarvis I promise to eat dinner so don't worry.

5:42 pm

Tony: I'll make sure to let him know. I know something else is bothering you and that you're not ready to talk about it just yet. After all you had a rough day, but know that I'm always here.

5:43 pm

Peter: Thanks.

5:48 pm

Tony: Hey Peter! It's Pepper, I stole the phone from Tony because he was being rude with it at the dinner table. Jarvis and I have been pretty worried about you after Tony told us you haven't been doing well. I'm going to send you both Jarvis' and I's contact info so you have it just in case. We're both here if you want to talk!

5:49 pm

Tony: (Pepper Potts Contact info.)

5:49 pm

Tony: (Jarvis Contact info.)

5:50 pm

Peter: wow, uhhh hi Pepper. I didn't mean to make you or Jarvis worry. Can you thank Jarvis for the awesome PB & J sandwiches, they were delicious. Thanks for the support…. it means a lot to me.

5:51 pm

Tony: of course Pe

5:52 pm

Tony: Hah finally. Sorry about all that. Pepper was being…. Pepper.

5:53 pm

Peter: I mean you were being rude…..

5:54 pm

Tony: Don't you gang up on me too. I thought you were on my side.

5:55 pm

Peter: That's the payback you get for siccing Aunt May on me.

5:56 pm

Tony: I see how it is. Tit for tat.

5:56 pm

Peter: Exactly!

5:57 pm

Tony: But seriously Peter, how are you feeling?

6:01 pm

Peter: I'm….better than I was.

6:02 pm

Tony: Ok, good I can work with that.

6:03 pm

Peter: Gotta go, May is calling me for supper.

6:04 pm

Tony: Ttyl

Peter tucked the phone in his pocket and hurried out to join Aunt May for dinner, smiling just a little.


	16. Chapter 16

Tony sat in his bedroom on the couch, reading a book with U sleeping with his head in Tony's lap, and Dum-E was lying on the bed. Since Peter had left, the two dogs had become extremely clingy. They obviously missed the boy just as much as the rest of the household. It had been really good to see Peter earlier that day. The boy had looked horrible but Tony had been able to hold him. To confirm for himself that Peter was at least alive and getting better.

Tony was startled out of his reveries when he felt his phone buzz. He checked it. An unknown number was calling him. Tony considered whether or not he should answer it. It was two in the morning after all. Eh, he might as well. He unlocked the phone and put it to his ear.

"Stark here."

"Oh thank God! I didn't know what to do. I've been trying to wake up Peter for the last ten minutes but I can't. He keeps screaming and thrashing around in his sleep."

Tony stood up fast, dropping his book on the floor, forgotten, and rushed out of the bedroom and down the hall.

"It's ok. Everything is going to be ok, May. He's probably having a night terror. A friend of mine went through something similar. It's usually impossible to wake the person up, so don't bother trying. Just try and be calm."

"Ok. I'll try. Anything else?"

"You could try and make sure he doesn't hurt himself. I don't know if your strong enough, but your try wrapping yourself around him and holding his arms. I'm on my way be there in 15 minutes."

Tony Sprinted out of the garage door and hopped into his fastest car, revving it. He shot out of the garage at thirty miles an hour and put his foot on the pedal. He hit 70 by the time he was on the driveway, 90 by the time he made it into the city. He still had Aunt May on the phone, he could hear whimpers and cries, followed by the occasional scream.

"May, give me an update. What's happening?" Tony was tense as he swerved through traffic and ran some red lights.

"He's about the same. I'm trying to hold him still but it's hard."

"Five minutes out," Tony replied, trying to stay in control of his voice.

Tony's fingers clenched the steering wheel in a white-fingered grip when he slowed in front of the Parker apartment in Queens.

"I'm here. Buzz me in."

"On it," May replied. He heard the door click and he ran in, hitting the stairs at a sprint. He was so glad they only lived on the fourth floor. He burst through the stairway door and sprinted to the apartment. The door opened as he got there and he saw May standing there in a nightgown looking terrified.

"I've never seen him like this. I might hear, like, one scream but not this." May said as she lead him through the apartment.

Tony could hear Peter screaming bloody murder as they entered his bedroom. The kid was all over the place, thrashing about. Tony quickly pushed past May and climbed onto the bed, wrapping his arms around the boy, pinning Peter's arms against his body and his legs with his own. Peter continued to scream. May stood in the middle of the room looking unsure of what to do.

"Why don't you get a glass of water and make something like toast for when he wakes up. He's going to need it." May started to walk out of the room. "And May?" She turned to meet his eyes. "Thanks for calling me."

"I did it for Peter. I don't know why, but he trusts you." Then she left.

Peter kept occasionally screaming and whimpering as tears fell from his closed eyes. Tony buried his head in the boy's hair leaving kisses on his neck. It hurt a lot to see Peter like this; the boy was in so much pain and there was not much he could do to stop it but hold on.

May returned carrying a glass of water and a plate with a piece of toast on it. Now all they could do was wait.

Peter was back in that dark room with Barnes and Rogers, but it was worse than before. Thanos was there too. Those terrifying eyes watched with glee as he was whipped continuously.

He jerked out of the nightmare and would have shot out of bed if there weren't arms wrapped around him. His face felt wet, his throat hurt, and he was drenched in sweat.

"Peter? Hey, it's ok, everything is ok. You're safe."

That sounded like Tony, which was really weird because he had fallen asleep at home. It also felt like Tony was holding him. He looked around the room to see Aunt May sitting in his desk chair. And, yes, that was Tony behind him. The man was wearing lounge pants and an old AC/DC band shirt.

"I…" he tried then cleared his throat "I don't understand. What are you doing here Tony?"

"May called me. You were having a night terror and scared the shit out of both of us." Tony said.

Peter wasn't sure how to respond to that. His heart still hadn't totally recovered from the dream. He looked over at Aunt May for confirmation.

"I tried for ten minutes to wake you up. I couldn't think of anyone else to call. You were screaming for most of it." May looked relieved that he was finally awake.

Peter relaxed back into the bed and closed his eyes, trying to slow down his heartbeat. With his eyes closed, he saw Thanos' face once again. His eyes snapped open and, without thinking, he curled into Tony and buried his face in the man's chest.

"It's ok Peter, you're safe. I'm never going to let anything like that ever happen to you ever again, ok?" Tony whispered into his hair.

Peter nodded his head in response and breathed in Tony's scent. He smelled of old spice, a little bit of motor oil, some form of expensive cologne and all Tony. It was a comforting smell.

Peter heard rustling behind him and remembered Aunt May was still in the room. He quickly disentangled himself from Tony, it felt really awkward to be so touchy feely with the man in front of Aunt May.

He made his way up into a sitting position, shivering. His T-shirt and boxers were soaked with sweat. He was dying of thirst and his stomach was feeling nauseous. He spotted the glass of water that Aunt May was holding. He got up carefully and, on shaky legs, walked over and took it from her hand. He sipped from it slowly, not really in the mood to throw up all over everything. The room was quiet while he drank.

"How about a shower?" May suggested.

Peter nodded his head, not trusting himself to speak right now. He was afraid if he opened his mouth he might start screaming again. He finished the glass and made his way on trembling limbs to the bathroom. When he got there he sat down on the closed lid of the toilet and just stared at the floor. His mind was still drifting back and forth from the night terror to reality. The whole experience had felt so vividly real.

He heard a quiet knock on the still open door that snapped himself back to reality. He looked up and saw Tony looking at him concerned. Peter just stared back helplessly.

"Let's get you in that shower. You'll feel a lot better when you're warm." Tony said as he walked into the bathroom and fiddled with the taps in the tub/shower combo.

Peter heard the shushing sound of the water coming out of the shower head. He felt Tony touch his shoulder.

"Come on. Out of those clothes and hop in. I'll leave you in privacy. I think your Aunt would have a problem with me being in here while you shower. Call if you need me. I'll be right outside the door.

Peter nodded and slowly pulled off his sweat-soaked T-shirt as Tony walked out of the small bathroom, closing the door behind him. Peter pulled off his boxers and stepped into the tub. He dipped his head under the spray and let the water pound down onto him. The hot water washed away the lingering sweat and helped get rid of the remnants of his night terror. The water pounding down onto his body was real. Tony was real. Aunt May was real. The dream wasn't. Peter's muscles slowly relaxed, allowing his breathing to deepen. Peter rested his hand against the wall of the shower to support himself. Peter felt so tired now that the fear had washed away. There was a knock on the closed door.

"Yea," Peter called out.

"Just checking in. I have some toast if you're hungry." Aunt May said through the door.

"Coming," Peter responded.

Peter moved his exhausted body sluggishly. He turned off the water, stepped out of the tub and grabbed the towel off of its rack. He did a cursory job of wiping the water off his skin before wrapping the towel around his hips. He walked out of the bathroom, making his way to his bedroom. His sat down on his bed, looking around the empty room. Tony peeked his head in.

"Hey kid, you want to put some clothes on? Not that I don't like looking at you in just a towel, but let's get you covered." Tony spoke conversationally as he walked into the room and rummaged through Peter's dresser.

Tony moved towards Peter holding a fresh pair of Boxers and Star Wars Clone Wars T-shirt.

"Here put these on, then you can climb into bed and go back to sleep ok?" Tony said handing the clothes to Peter.

Peter took them and waited for Tony to leave before he pulled on the clothes. Peter was so out of it that after he pulled on the clothes he curled up on his side in his bed. He closed his eyes but snapped them open almost immediately. He couldn't close them without seeing Thanos' face.

Peter was so tired, but he was terrified that if he slept his nightmare would return. So he just lay in bed staring at the wall.

"Peter?" May asked.

Peter looked up into May's eyes, his own welling with tears. She came into the room and sat on the bed rubbing soothing circles along Peter's back.

"Everything is going to be ok, I promise." She murmured to him.

Peter just nodded. Even with May saying that he didn't feel any better.

"Hey May, can I get a second with Peter?" Tony startled them both. Peter looked over to see the man leaning in the doorway.

May looked uncertain but finally nodded. She squeezed Peter's shoulder then got up, passing Tony as she walked out of the room. Tony sat down where May had been. Peter looked up at him curiously.

"Peter, I'll stay as long as you need. I promise nothing is going to happen to you. Wherever you want me. If that's in here by your side, or outside the apartment guarding the door. You just tell me." Tony looked very serious.

Peter was finally able to relax. He knew Tony meant every word he said. He trusted the man to protect him from both outside threats and the threats that came from within. If Peter wasn't so out of it, he never would have said what he said next.

"Hold me?" He murmured.

"Of course baby boy. Anything for you." Tony responded a smile blossoming across his face.

Tony carefully climbed into bed, beside Peter and wrapped the boy in his strong arms. Peter sighed in contentment, his head resting squarely on Tony's chest. Tony's heartbeat sounded strongly in Peter's ear, lulling the boy to sleep.

Tony listened as Peter's breathing dropped into the rhythm of sleep. He lay there quietly, thinking about all that had happened in the last hour or so. This was not what he had been expecting when he woke up this morning. He had seen Peter twice in less than twenty-four hours after two weeks being apart.

Tony heard a creak and looked up to see May standing in the doorway looking at them both with confusion and a tinge of disapproval on her face. She moved into the room and glared at Tony.

"I haven't pushed Peter because of how fragile he currently is, but what the hell." She whispered furiously.

Tony sighed, closing his eyes.

"I want an answer Mr. Stark, and I want it now." She demanded, still in a whisper.

"It's….."

"Don't tell me is complicated, I've heard that way too many times. Stop dodging and tell me the truth."

Tony glared back a little bit.

"It is complicated. Peter…..accidently got involved in mob business when he showed up someplace he shouldn't have been with a camera. That's how I met him. During that time he was kidnapped by Rogers and Barnes. I rescued him, the police showed up and brought him back to you." Tony was trying his best to hedge as much as possible.

Her eyes narrowed even farther. "You aren't telling me everything."

"You're right but this is something that Peter needs to be a part of too. If he wants you to know then it's his story to tell."

"You rat bastard. He isn't in a state of mind to be able to know what he should talk about and what he shouldn't. I've been hands off for long enough. Peter is my 18-year-old nephew. Were the only family each of us has left."

"Fine. Fine. I will tell you everything in the morning, but now, let Peter sleep. I've told you before and I will say it again now. No matter what I have done in the past, or what you think of me. I care about Peter. His health and happiness matter to me. I would do anything for him."

May sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Peter trusts you. I don't know why but he does. And I trust his judgment, for the most part. I'm not happy about this, but I can live with it for now."

May walked out of the room, leaving Tony alone with a sleeping Peter and his thoughts.


	17. Chapter 17

Tony sat in his bedroom on the couch, reading a book with U sleeping with his head in Tony's lap, and Dum-E was lying on the bed. Since Peter had left, the two dogs had become extremely clingy. They obviously missed the boy just as much as the rest of the household. It had been really good to see Peter earlier that day. The boy had looked horrible but Tony had been able to hold him. To confirm for himself that Peter was at least alive and getting better.

Tony was startled out of his reveries when he felt his phone buzz. He checked it. An unknown number was calling him. Tony considered whether or not he should answer it. It was two in the morning after all. Eh, he might as well. He unlocked the phone and put it to his ear.

"Stark here."

"Oh thank God! I didn't know what to do. I've been trying to wake up Peter for the last ten minutes but I can't. He keeps screaming and thrashing around in his sleep."

Tony stood up fast, dropping his book on the floor, forgotten, and rushed out of the bedroom and down the hall.

"It's ok. Everything is going to be ok, May. He's probably having a night terror. A friend of mine went through something similar. It's usually impossible to wake the person up, so don't bother trying. Just try and be calm."

"Ok. I'll try. Anything else?"

"You could try and make sure he doesn't hurt himself. I don't know if your strong enough, but your try wrapping yourself around him and holding his arms. I'm on my way be there in 15 minutes."

Tony Sprinted out of the garage door and hopped into his fastest car, revving it. He shot out of the garage at thirty miles an hour and put his foot on the pedal. He hit 70 by the time he was on the driveway, 90 by the time he made it into the city. He still had Aunt May on the phone, he could hear whimpers and cries, followed by the occasional scream.

"May, give me an update. What's happening?" Tony was tense as he swerved through traffic and ran some red lights.

"He's about the same. I'm trying to hold him still but it's hard."

"Five minutes out," Tony replied, trying to stay in control of his voice.

Tony's fingers clenched the steering wheel in a white-fingered grip when he slowed in front of the Parker apartment in Queens.

"I'm here. Buzz me in."

"On it," May replied. He heard the door click and he ran in, hitting the stairs at a sprint. He was so glad they only lived on the fourth floor. He burst through the stairway door and sprinted to the apartment. The door opened as he got there and he saw May standing there in a nightgown looking terrified.

"I've never seen him like this. I might hear, like, one scream but not this." May said as she lead him through the apartment.

Tony could hear Peter screaming bloody murder as they entered his bedroom. The kid was all over the place, thrashing about. Tony quickly pushed past May and climbed onto the bed, wrapping his arms around the boy, pinning Peter's arms against his body and his legs with his own. Peter continued to scream. May stood in the middle of the room looking unsure of what to do.

"Why don't you get a glass of water and make something like toast for when he wakes up. He's going to need it." May started to walk out of the room. "And May?" She turned to meet his eyes. "Thanks for calling me."

"I did it for Peter. I don't know why, but he trusts you." Then she left.

Peter kept occasionally screaming and whimpering as tears fell from his closed eyes. Tony buried his head in the boy's hair leaving kisses on his neck. It hurt a lot to see Peter like this; the boy was in so much pain and there was not much he could do to stop it but hold on.

May returned carrying a glass of water and a plate with a piece of toast on it. Now all they could do was wait.

Peter was back in that dark room with Barnes and Rogers, but it was worse than before. Thanos was there too. Those terrifying eyes watched with glee as he was whipped continuously.

He jerked out of the nightmare and would have shot out of bed if there weren't arms wrapped around him. His face felt wet, his throat hurt, and he was drenched in sweat.

"Peter? Hey, it's ok, everything is ok. You're safe."

That sounded like Tony, which was really weird because he had fallen asleep at home. It also felt like Tony was holding him. He looked around the room to see Aunt May sitting in his desk chair. And, yes, that was Tony behind him. The man was wearing lounge pants and an old AC/DC band shirt.

"I…" he tried then cleared his throat "I don't understand. What are you doing here Tony?"

"May called me. You were having a night terror and scared the shit out of both of us." Tony said.

Peter wasn't sure how to respond to that. His heart still hadn't totally recovered from the dream. He looked over at Aunt May for confirmation.

"I tried for ten minutes to wake you up. I couldn't think of anyone else to call. You were screaming for most of it." May looked relieved that he was finally awake.

Peter relaxed back into the bed and closed his eyes, trying to slow down his heartbeat. With his eyes closed, he saw Thanos' face once again. His eyes snapped open and, without thinking, he curled into Tony and buried his face in the man's chest.

"It's ok Peter, you're safe. I'm never going to let anything like that ever happen to you ever again, ok?" Tony whispered into his hair.

Peter nodded his head in response and breathed in Tony's scent. He smelled of old spice, a little bit of motor oil, some form of expensive cologne and all Tony. It was a comforting smell.

Peter heard rustling behind him and remembered Aunt May was still in the room. He quickly disentangled himself from Tony, it felt really awkward to be so touchy feely with the man in front of Aunt May.

He made his way up into a sitting position, shivering. His T-shirt and boxers were soaked with sweat. He was dying of thirst and his stomach was feeling nauseous. He spotted the glass of water that Aunt May was holding. He got up carefully and, on shaky legs, walked over and took it from her hand. He sipped from it slowly, not really in the mood to throw up all over everything. The room was quiet while he drank.

"How about a shower?" May suggested.

Peter nodded his head, not trusting himself to speak right now. He was afraid if he opened his mouth he might start screaming again. He finished the glass and made his way on trembling limbs to the bathroom. When he got there he sat down on the closed lid of the toilet and just stared at the floor. His mind was still drifting back and forth from the night terror to reality. The whole experience had felt so vividly real.

He heard a quiet knock on the still open door that snapped himself back to reality. He looked up and saw Tony looking at him concerned. Peter just stared back helplessly.

"Let's get you in that shower. You'll feel a lot better when you're warm." Tony said as he walked into the bathroom and fiddled with the taps in the tub/shower combo.

Peter heard the shushing sound of the water coming out of the shower head. He felt Tony touch his shoulder.

"Come on. Out of those clothes and hop in. I'll leave you in privacy. I think your Aunt would have a problem with me being in here while you shower. Call if you need me. I'll be right outside the door.

Peter nodded and slowly pulled off his sweat-soaked T-shirt as Tony walked out of the small bathroom, closing the door behind him. Peter pulled off his boxers and stepped into the tub. He dipped his head under the spray and let the water pound down onto him. The hot water washed away the lingering sweat and helped get rid of the remnants of his night terror. The water pounding down onto his body was real. Tony was real. Aunt May was real. The dream wasn't. Peter's muscles slowly relaxed, allowing his breathing to deepen. Peter rested his hand against the wall of the shower to support himself. Peter felt so tired now that the fear had washed away. There was a knock on the closed door.

"Yea," Peter called out.

"Just checking in. I have some toast if you're hungry." Aunt May said through the door.

"Coming," Peter responded.

Peter moved his exhausted body sluggishly. He turned off the water, stepped out of the tub and grabbed the towel off of its rack. He did a cursory job of wiping the water off his skin before wrapping the towel around his hips. He walked out of the bathroom, making his way to his bedroom. His sat down on his bed, looking around the empty room. Tony peeked his head in.

"Hey kid, you want to put some clothes on? Not that I don't like looking at you in just a towel, but let's get you covered." Tony spoke conversationally as he walked into the room and rummaged through Peter's dresser.

Tony moved towards Peter holding a fresh pair of Boxers and Star Wars Clone Wars T-shirt.

"Here put these on, then you can climb into bed and go back to sleep ok?" Tony said handing the clothes to Peter.

Peter took them and waited for Tony to leave before he pulled on the clothes. Peter was so out of it that after he pulled on the clothes he curled up on his side in his bed. He closed his eyes but snapped them open almost immediately. He couldn't close them without seeing Thanos' face.

Peter was so tired, but he was terrified that if he slept his nightmare would return. So he just lay in bed staring at the wall.

"Peter?" May asked.

Peter looked up into May's eyes, his own welling with tears. She came into the room and sat on the bed rubbing soothing circles along Peter's back.

"Everything is going to be ok, I promise." She murmured to him.

Peter just nodded. Even with May saying that he didn't feel any better.

"Hey May, can I get a second with Peter?" Tony startled them both. Peter looked over to see the man leaning in the doorway.

May looked uncertain but finally nodded. She squeezed Peter's shoulder then got up, passing Tony as she walked out of the room. Tony sat down where May had been. Peter looked up at him curiously.

"Peter, I'll stay as long as you need. I promise nothing is going to happen to you. Wherever you want me. If that's in here by your side, or outside the apartment guarding the door. You just tell me." Tony looked very serious.

Peter was finally able to relax. He knew Tony meant every word he said. He trusted the man to protect him from both outside threats and the threats that came from within. If Peter wasn't so out of it, he never would have said what he said next.

"Hold me?" He murmured.

"Of course baby boy. Anything for you." Tony responded a smile blossoming across his face.

Tony carefully climbed into bed, beside Peter and wrapped the boy in his strong arms. Peter sighed in contentment, his head resting squarely on Tony's chest. Tony's heartbeat sounded strongly in Peter's ear, lulling the boy to sleep.

Tony listened as Peter's breathing dropped into the rhythm of sleep. He lay there quietly, thinking about all that had happened in the last hour or so. This was not what he had been expecting when he woke up this morning. He had seen Peter twice in less than twenty-four hours after two weeks being apart.

Tony heard a creak and looked up to see May standing in the doorway looking at them both with confusion and a tinge of disapproval on her face. She moved into the room and glared at Tony.

"I haven't pushed Peter because of how fragile he currently is, but what the hell." She whispered furiously.

Tony sighed, closing his eyes.

"I want an answer Mr. Stark, and I want it now." She demanded, still in a whisper.

"It's….."

"Don't tell me is complicated, I've heard that way too many times. Stop dodging and tell me the truth."

Tony glared back a little bit.

"It is complicated. Peter…..accidently got involved in mob business when he showed up someplace he shouldn't have been with a camera. That's how I met him. During that time he was kidnapped by Rogers and Barnes. I rescued him, the police showed up and brought him back to you." Tony was trying his best to hedge as much as possible.

Her eyes narrowed even farther. "You aren't telling me everything."

"You're right but this is something that Peter needs to be a part of too. If he wants you to know then it's his story to tell."

"You rat bastard. He isn't in a state of mind to be able to know what he should talk about and what he shouldn't. I've been hands off for long enough. Peter is my 18-year-old nephew. Were the only family each of us has left."

"Fine. Fine. I will tell you everything in the morning, but now, let Peter sleep. I've told you before and I will say it again now. No matter what I have done in the past, or what you think of me. I care about Peter. His health and happiness matter to me. I would do anything for him."

May sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Peter trusts you. I don't know why but he does. And I trust his judgment, for the most part. I'm not happy about this, but I can live with it for now."

May walked out of the room, leaving Tony alone with a sleeping Peter and his thoughts.


	18. Chapter 18

Tony extricated himself from a sleeping Peter, just before 6 in the morning. He hadn't slept a wink. His mind was racing with the decision he had come to during the night. He would tell May everything. No sugar coats, just the plain hard truth.

He made his way to the kitchen on bare feet. He spotted a coffee maker and got started making some. The ritual of making coffee helped calm his nerves.

He heard shuffling behind as he watched the coffee brew. He turned to see May standing behind him looking bags under her eyes but wide awake. It looked like she hadn't slept either.

He poured two cups of coffee handing her one and carrying the other to the kitchen table where he sat down. She sat across from him palming the mug.

"Talk," May said in a calm controlled voice

So Tony did. He started with the raid and how Peter had dropped his camera and Rhodey had found it. Then Peter's abduction for interrogation. Tony skipped over the interrogation methods. He then told Aunt May about taking Peter home instead of letting him go. He told her that Peter had lived with him for two days before he was kidnapped in the middle of the night by Barnes and Rogers. He told her how it had taken him and his team a few hours to locate Peter. He told her how he had found Peter naked and wounded all over. He left out the drugs for Peter's sake. He ended with Fury showing up at the house. He was surprised how May stayed quiet throughout his whole story. She just palmed her coffee cup and listened to him showing no emotion.

There was silence for a moment before she spoke.

"I just have one question. The answer to which will decide how I view you from now on. Why did you take a Peter home? Why not let him go?" She asked, face still stoic.

Tony looked down considering his options, but in the end, he knew he had to tell her the truth. If he was ever going to have any sort of relationship with May he couldn't lie to her anymore.

"Because I couldn't let him go."

"Why because he was a threat to your business? Because he would be hunted by others?"

"No, no. Because I wanted him. At the time that's what I thought but now…" Tony's voice trailed off.

"I was wrong about you."

Tony looked up hopefully but her face was covered in scorn.

"You aren't just a bastard." She continued. "You are far worse. You're an old perverted, narcissistic man. A child molester."

"I never touched Peter in any sexual way without consent. I'm not a rapist!" Tony shouted, interrupting, half pushing himself out of his chair in rage.

She put out her hand to stop him. Tony slowly lowered himself back to his chair.

"It wouldn't matter if Peter wanted it or not. From the way he interacts with you he's obviously suffering from Stockholm syndrome. At that point, he can't consent to anything. His choice was taken away the second he was kidnapped by your men. Everything after that was all of your doing to an innocent child. The position he is in now. The night terrors, his lack of eating, his lack of concentration is all on you. You're the reason he was tortured in the first place. If you had left him alone then none of this would have happened. You claim to care about hi-"

"I love him." Tony interrupted, growling. He felt like May was slapping him in the face with each word. Shoving his mistakes under his nose.

"You love him?" It was May's turn to shove back her chair and stand up. She put her hands on the table and leaned forward to glare at Tony. "You don't even know what love is. You think this is love?! Coming back into his life and torturing him again?"

Tony shot to his feet, but May stopped him from speaking with a hand.

"He is emotionally destroyed. You think you're being a savior coming here and inserting yourself back into his life. This isn't love this is warped manipulation to reach your one gratification. You don't love him. You lust after him. You may need him for your own selfish narcissistic pleasure. But that's not love. Love is selfless. Are you even capable of that."

"I've changed." Tony gasped out. It felt like May had driven a dagger straight through his heart.

"Have you!? It doesn't seem like it. If you've really changed you wouldn't be here. If you loved Peter you would walk out that door and never return. Because that would be the selfless thing to do. That would be true love. But you're still here aren't you."

"You called me!" Tony tried to counter her argument.

"You're right I did. That was my mistake. I take full responsibility for that and I'm fixing it right now. What are you going to do? Are you going to keep treating Peter like a puppet you can manipulate and control, or are you going to prove you've changed and walk out that door and never return?" May stood firm, arms crossed in front of her chest. She was a she-lion protecting her cub. She was breathless in her element.

Tony stumbled back. The dagger she had shoved between his ribs twisted painfully. He would have fallen to his knees except he forgot he was standing. The world slowed down to a crawl.

Tony couldn't breathe. She's right, she's right she's right. Kept repeating through his head. This was all on him. It didn't matter that Peter had reached out first. His subconscious had basically engineered it so that that was Peter's only option.

He had done this all to his baby boy, and then called it love. Tony wanted to throw up he felt nauseated from his actions. He claimed not to be a rapist but he had raped Peter's soul.

Tony somehow turned around and made his way out of the apartment and to his car. He climbed in and just stared at his steering wheel. He couldn't think straight, all his mind was focused on what a horrible person he was. His stomach couldn't take it anymore. He opened the car door just in time to throw up on the street. The only things that came up were coffee and bile. Tony wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

He needed to get out of here. Tony slammed the door shut, gunned the engine and shot out onto the street. He sped through the city at close to 120 miles per hour not caring about anything other than getting away. Getting away from the truth. He couldn't face himself at this moment, not after what he had done.

Tony somehow made it home pulling into his garage at 7:30 in the morning. He stumbled out of the car and into the house. He made it to the kitchen collapsing into a chair.

Tony looked down at his shaking hands. The last time he had trembled like this was right after his parents had died. He hadn't been this messed up….this out of control since that day.

And just like that day, over 20 years ago, he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked into Jarvis' face. Jarvis looked down at him with kind eyes.

Tony leaned his head against Jarvis and let the man wrap his arms around him. It didn't matter that the last time this had happened Jarvis had been ten to his twenty-one. The comfort was still the same. It meant Tony wasn't alone.


	19. Chapter 19

Peter leaned against the wall and listened to Tony and Aunt May argue. He poked his head around the corner and watched as Tony stumbled out of the apartment. Peter crept his way back to his room and shut the door behind him so he could collect his thoughts.

May had made some valid points, but Peter couldn't think about them. He was stuck on Tony saying he loved him. Peter paced his room as he thought about what it meant to be loved. There had been times with Tony that he had felt loved but other times... not so much.

Peter sat on his bed hard and texted the only person he could think of that would be able to help him work this all out. Pepper

6:36 am

Peter: I don't know what to do…..

6:37 am

Pepper: What's wrong? What happened? I can be there in 20 minutes.

6:38 am

Peter: Don't come here! May and Tony just had a…..talk. May said some things to Tony, and he left. He didn't look so good…

6:39 am

Pepper: Ok. I'll have Jarvis keep an eye out for him. What do you want to do?

6:40 am

Peter: I don't know. Some of the things my aunt said weren't wrong but…. Tony told her he loved me.

6:41 am

Pepper: He does, in his own way. He's changed since he met you.

6:42 am

Peter: Thanks, Pepper. I'm going to talk to my aunt.

6:43 am

Pepper: Ok. Peter, we are always here for you. Tony isn't the only one who loves you in this house.

Peter smiled at her last text and headed out of his bedroom to see Aunt May. He found her sitting at the kitchen table clutching a cold mug of coffee in her hands, staring into space. He moved slowly into the room and wrapped her in a hug from behind. She slowly loosened her grip on the mug and clutched his arms to her chest.

"You know I love you, right, Peter?" she said.

He nodded his head where it was buried in her hair.

"You need to stay away from Tony Stark. He's bad news."

He pulled himself away so he could lean against the table and face her. She reached out her hand, and he took it in a gentle grip.

"Tony has done some terrible things, but he also saved me, May."

"But that's what kidnappers do Peter. They make you feel obligated to them."

"I'm not saying he always did the right thing, by any means, and if it's what you want, I won't see him anymore. But you should know I owe him my life. The least I can do is keep him out of jail for kidnapping."

May sighed but nodded her head, she wound her arms around Peter's waist and pulled him into a tight hug. Peter hugged her back just as hard.

**1 DAY LATER**

Peter sat in the waiting room and stared at his feet. He was leaning forward with his elbows resting against his knees, and he hands lightly clasped. He could feel his hands shaking. He tried to stop the movement, but that just made the shaking even worse.

Aunt May had dragged him here after his classes. Telling him that he needed to talk to someone about his Stockholm syndrome. He had wanted to argue with her about it, but she was very determined. There was no point in arguing with her when she was like this.

"Mr. Parker!"

Peter was jerked out of his thoughts by the sound of his name being called by a big white woman, wearing pink scrubs and popping bubblegum.

Peter jumped up and made his way over to her. She moved her hand in a follow me movement and led Peter down a hall to a door. She tapped on the door, then opened it' gesturing for Peter to walk in.

Peter took hesitant steps into the room, then almost whirled around in shock when the door closed loudly behind him.

"It's alright Mr. Parker. Why don't you come in and sit down." Peter heard a voice speak.

He looked back towards the room to see an older gentleman with large glasses and white hair sitting in a chair and gesturing towards a couch. Peter walked towards it stiffly and sat on the edge of his seat.

"I talked to your aunt on the phone yesterday, and she told me you are struggling with Stockholm syndrome. Tell me about your experience."

Peter was extremely uncomfortable with how direct this man was being. He didn't even know the guy's name. He scanned the top of the desk that the doctor was sitting behind and saw a name plack. It read Dr. Shnieder.

"Ummm I was kidnapped?" Peter finally said fidgeting.

"Good, good. Who were you kidnapped by?" The doctor said as he looked down at his desk and started writing something.

Peter wasn't sure if he was more relieved or pissed that he didn't have the doctor's full attention.

"Tony Stark, the mob boss, and Thanos."

"Mhm. And how did that make you feel?" Dr. Shnieder continued as he shuffled more papers on his desk.

"I don't know... Pissed? Scared."

"Right, right. How do you think that situation could have been improved?"

"By not being kidnapped." Peter was starting to get really annoyed.

The rest of the therapy session continued like that. Dr. Shnieder was asking questions, while ignoring Peter's answers and never genuinely looking at him. The whole thing finished with Dr. Shnieder saying:

"Here's a list of books you should read. And I think we should pick this up next week. Have a good day Mr. Parker." Dr. Shnieder handed a list to Peter then made a hand motion towards the door without even looking at the boy.

Peter felt like a bug, one that was so small it wasn't even worth stepping on. He grabbed the list and left as quickly as he possibly could.

He found Aunt May sitting in the waiting room reading a magazine. He grabbed her hand and tugged her to her feet. He was also glad they had paid before the session. She looked confused as he practically dragged her out of the office.

They drove home in silence, with Peter shooting out of the car the minute it was parked in their assigned spot in the garage under their apartment building. Aunt May hadn't even turned off the car.

He made his way to their apartment, taking the stairs, rather than having to stand still in the elevator. He unlocked the door with his set of keys and went straight to his room, crumpling the piece of paper that Dr. Shnieder had given him and tossing it on his desk. Peter collapsed head first on his bed.

He groaned into his pillow. That was the most uncomfortable thing Peter had ever gone through. Including his time with Rogers and Barnes. The man hadn't looked Peter in the eye once. He didn't even seem sympathetic that Peter had been kidnapped and tortured.

Peter moved his head to the side so he could stare at the desk where the crumpled piece of paper was. Dr. Shnieder had said it was a book list.

Peter pushed himself off his bed and walked over to his desk, grabbing the piece of paper. He unfolded it and read it:

Book List for those who need a little self-help in the new age of the 1990s

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay What To Say When You Talk To Your Self by Shad Helmstetter Self-Esteem By Matthew McKay Prisoners of Our Thoughts by Alex Pattakos I'm OK - You're OK by Thomas Anthony Harris The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale Keeping the House by Ellen Baker

Peter stared at the list for another minute before exhaling in disgust. What the hell was this dude's problem? It was 2019 for Pete's sake. None of this helped him. Peter re-crumbled the piece of paper and chucked it into his trash can. He had no intention of going back to that man, nor reading any of the books on that list.

Peter went back to his bed and curled up on his left side, facing away from the door. He grabbed his phone out of his right front pocket and unlocked it. He opened his messenger app and typed out a text to Tony.

5:23 pm

Peter: I wish you were here.

Peter curled himself around his phone and waited for a response. He waited, and waited. At some point, he fell asleep.

Peter jerked awake with his hips thrusting forward uselessly and his hands flailing towards his hard cock. He groaned in utter frustration when he couldn't bring himself to touch his aching cock. He wasn't allowed to get himself to cum without Tony's permission. Peter flung himself out of his bed, stripping down to his boxers and opening his window, allowing the cold air to his flushed skin. The cold helped but didn't get rid of his hard-on.

Peter remembered he had texted Tony, he grabbed for his phone and opened it, hoping to see a message, but there was nothing. He sent another text.

11:53 pm

Peter: I know May told you to stay away, but I could really use your help.

Peter tossed the phone on the bed and headed out of his room so he could take a cold shower. Even with the cold air, his skin still felt feverish. His body was screaming for release, his balls felt heavy, and every time his dick rubbed against his boxers, pings of pleasure shot up his spine.

The minute he entered the bathroom after turning on the light and closing the door he stripped off his boxers. He looked down at the swollen, angry red head of his cock. His right hand hovered next to it. He was so close. He wanted to cum so badly, but he just couldn't do it. His cock belonged to Tony, not him. His pleasure was Tony's, not his own.

Peter wanted to scream in utter frustration. He should hate how much control Tony had over him, but he mostly just missed him. He turned on the water and jumped in the freezing cold spray. He let the cold water pound his back, then turned and let the spray hit his face and chest, running down his stomach to his now softening dick. The cold seeped into his feverish skin and cooled his bones. It allowed him to relax and then tense up for an entirely different reason.

Peter came out of the shower shivering. He turned off the water and wrapped a towel around his waist. He walked out of the bathroom without bothering to dry off. He entered his bedroom and shivered harder. He had forgotten he had left his window open. The cold air of a New York winter had dropped the temperature of his room by at least 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Peter closed the window, then checked his phone. There was still nothing from Tony. Peter almost cried out in pain from the barrage on emotions. He felt angry, lost, bereft, scared, unloved, unwanted, needy, hurt, furious…... It was too much for Peter to process.

Peter flung himself back on his bed, uncaring that he was wet and cold. He allowed his pillow to be soaked with his damp hair and his tears.

Peter was miserable.

**3 DAYS LATER**

Tony sat in his office, staring at his computer screen at 10:30 at night when he heard the doorbell ring. He ignored it, knowing Jarvis would get it. It was probably a contact of Rhodey's or something.

Tony was surprised when there was a sudden banging on his door. He looked at it wonderingly, but the banging continued, reaching an almost frantic note. Tony opened it to see a fat Asian kid huffing and puffing in his doorway.

"Uhhhhh" He looked up to see Jarvis shrugging behind the kid in just as much confusion.

"Your….guest didn't even stop to tell me his name, much less his purpose for being here. He just asked where he could find you and said it was urgent."

"I see." Tony refocused his attention back on the teen. "So what was so urgent that you felt the need to bang on my office door, rather than being polite?"

"They...They've taken him." the kid wheezed.

Tony's eyes sharpened. "Taken who?" He demanded sharply, dread already filling his stomach.

"Peter." The Asian kid leaned against the doorway catching his breath.

Tony had already tugged his phone out of his pocket and was dialing Rhodey.

"When?" he asked the kid, putting his phone against his ear.

"Not sure. I showed up at his apartment when he didn't show up for classes and wasn't answering my texts... The place had been trashed. No sign of Mrs. Parker either."

"What about the police watching the house?" Tony asked tapping his foot impatiently. It didn't usually take Rhodey this long to pick up.

The kid shook his head. "I didn't see any, but I didn't look either. I'm Ned by the way."

Tony grunted. "I figured you might be. Do you know if Peter had his phone on him?"

Ned furrowed his brows. "I didn't think to look."

Jarvis put a hand on Ned's shoulder. "Thank you for coming to us Master Ned. Come with me, we can go to the kitchen, sit down, have some tea and you can tell me any details you can remember. Mr. Stark needs to work."

Ned nodded and followed J back down the hall.

Rhodey has finally picked up and answered with a breathless: "Rhodes."

"Peter has been taken again. Hey here now." Then Tony hung up.

Next, he called Pepper and gave her the same treatment, followed by happy.

Tony dialed one more number; the phone was picked up on the second ring. No one answered, but he knew she was there.

"I'm calling in that favor, and I want a formal meeting with all the bosses setup tonight." He ended the call, not waiting for a response.

He didn't exactly trust her, but he knew she would do her part.

After getting everything set up, Tony sighed and banged his forehead against the wall. He had tried to do the right thing, multiple times. But it seemed the world just wouldn't let him be the good guy. So instead of the superhero soaring in and saving the day. He would just have to be the super villain that destroyed everything in his path until the world submitted to his dominion.

Tony was out for blood, and by the end of it, he would be dripping in it.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N Here it is, sorry I haven't been updating as often. Let me know what you think.**

Peter made a promise to himself as he woke up yet again tied up. He was never getting captured ever again, it was annoying, painful, frustrating, embarrassing, and terrifying. And Peter was so over it.

Instead of panicking he just looked around the room and sighed. Yet again he was in another dirty room, by himself with a camera in the corner, yet again he was cold and shirtless. At least he was still wearing sweats. This whole thing was starting to get cliche.

Peter closed his eyes and let his mind drift. Time didn't exist in these places, so he allowed his brain to rest and thought about normal things like the fact that Tony was a dick. He hadn't replied to Peter's texts, he had allowed Peter to be captured once more, and because of Tony, Peter had blue balls. Hence Tony was a dickwad.

On the positive side of things, Peter's relationship with Aunt May and Ned had improved tremendously over the last two days.

Peter had actually been able to have a full conversation with his best friend, where he told Ned everything. Confiding in a best friend was waaaaay better than lousy therapy.

Peter hoped Aunt May was ok though. The goons had shown up in the middle of the night and destroyed the house. They had kicked in the door with one solid bang and came through the apartment with guns drawn and shouting, waking up May and himself. The last thing Peter remembered hearing was May screaming.

Peter was brought out of his thoughts by the door opening. He looked up to see purple dude walk in with that sickly smile plastered on his face.

Peter would have rolled his eyes if the fear hadn't started to set in. The physical reaction of his stomach curling and his body breaking out in a cold sweat was predictable, yet unavoidable.

"What do you want?" Peter demanded, deciding to beat this douche to the point.

A cold chuckle escaped the man's lips causing an uncontrollable shiver to course down Peter's spine.

"It's not what I want that's important, it's about what I can do for you." The man replied with a dark smirk on his lips.

Peter's brow furrowed in confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I don't think I ever officially introduced myself did I?" The man asked changing the subject while he slowly paced around Peter.

Peter remained stoically silent.

"My name is Thanos."

Peter snorted. "What kind of name is that?"

"An old family one. Now let's get rid of all that useless bravado. We both know you're scared shitless." Thanos spoke calmly.

The man stopped directly in front of the boy and placed a large hand gently against Peter's cheek. The boy flinched away from the touch.

The feeling of Thanos' hand on him made his skin crawl in disgust. He hated this man's touch.

"Don't be that way, little dove." Thanos cooed to Peter.

Peter's stomach churned with nausea. The way that Thanos was touching and talking to him was the most repulsive thing that Peter had ever experienced. It was worse then what Barnes and Rogers had done. Bile filled Peter's mouth which he swallowed.

"You're looking a little under the weather, anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable?" Thanos continued to croon as his fingers carefully traced Peter's facial features with feather-light touches.

"Don't touch me." Peter gritted out through clenched teeth.

"Oh don't be that way. My hands are ten times better at bringing pleasure than anything Anthony could have done." Thanos said as one of his hands trailed down Peter's neck to the boy's chest.

Peter allowed himself to gather saliva in his mouth and spit a giant blob of it right in Thanos' face. It landed just below the man's left eye and dribbled down Thanos' cheek in the most satisfying way Peter could have ever imagined.

Peter felt a smug smile caress his lips as he looked at his handiwork. Before a punch landed on his face, snapping his neck back and causing pain to shoot across the left side of Peter's face.

Peter had never been punched before. Slapped, whipped, paddled, but never punched. It was such a shock, Peter wasn't even sure how to react. His face stayed frozen and leaned back then lulled forward.

"It looks like no one taught you any manners." Thanos' voice was as calm as ever, causing a shiver to run down Peter's spine.

Thanos was a lot more dangerous than Rogers or Barnes.

"Maybe I should have a conversation with your aunt about that?" Thanos mused.

"Leave my aunt alone." Peter spoke with a quaver in his voice and true terror beating in his heart. His sore jaw feeling weird when he talked.

"And why would I do a thing like that? It's not like it would be that hard. She's right down the hall."

Peter felt the color drain from his face. "Please I'll do anything." He begged.

"Anything?" Thanos mused as he began to circle Peter again. "Do you really mean that?"

"Yes." Peter breathed into the silence. "You can do anything you want to me just don't touch her."

"I can already do anything I want to you. That's not much of a bargaining chip."

Peter was starting to feel desperate. He searched his mind for something better.

"I'll do anything you say." Peter blurted out. "Immediately and without question." Peter continued, hoping and praying that would be enough.

Thanos let out a dark laugh. "Prove it." He said after his chuckle died down.

"How?" Peter asked.

"Stick out your tongue and hold it there until I tell you otherwise," Thanos said, after a second of pondering.

Peter stuck out his tongue but kept his mouth closed around it.

"Mouth open." Thanos snapped.

Peter immediately opened his mouth as wide as he comfortably could and kept it there.

He watched as Thanos circled him then stopped directly in front of him.

Before Peter could blink, Thanos spit into his mouth. The blob of saliva landed on Peter's tongue as well as the back of his throat making Peter gag but he didn't allow himself to close his mouth.

He was terrified that if he did, Thanos would do something horrible to his aunt.

Thanos smirked at him, while his spit fell off the tip of Peter's tongue and onto the boy's stomach, right above his belly button then continued to drizzle down.

Peter couldn't stop the shudder that coursed down his spine at the feeling.

"It looks like you might mean it after all." Thanos spoke as he rubbed his chin and continued to watch his saliva slide down the boy's snail trail into his pants.

"You said there was going to be torture but that doesn't look like torture to me, that looks like sexy time. And I'm not into sex torture. Too many feels, you know." A sing songy male voice spoke up from behind Thanos.

Thanos took a step back from Peter but didn't turn or show any sign of surprise at being interrupted.

"Deadpool, why are you always so late?" Thanos spoke while still staring into Peter's face.

Peter Didn't dare take his eyes off of Thanos. Not even to see who this other man was.

"oh you know how it is, things to do, people to kill, the usual. Though this time, if I'm being honest was an intense masturbation moment" The voice responded still with that hint of humor in his voice.

Thanos' face morphed into a silent grimace at those words. "You live to irritate don't you?"

The voice laughed. "Of course we do, isn't that right yellow." A pause "no I'm not asking white, we're not talking remember?"

"Speaking to your voices again?" Thanos asked on a sigh.

"Sometimes, though mostly they talk and I try to ignore them as much as possible."

"You can close your mouth now Peter." Thanos said before he finally turned away from the boy.

Peter allowed his jaw to relax and his eyes to dart towards this new individual. He saw a man leaning against the wall, dressed in a red and black suit that covered him from head to toe, even his face. All Peter could see was his white eye spots that marked where the man's eyes would be. The man was huge with bulging muscles, and two katana swords strapped to his back.

Peter wasn;t sure what to make of the person in front of him with the voice that he had heard before. They seemed somehow contradictory to each other.

"Oooooh you're right Yellow he is staring at us. I wonder if he wants to say hi but is too nervous too." The man seemed to be talking to the air.

He approached Peter with bouncing steps, when he reached the tied up teen, he leaned down from his towering height so he could look Peter in the eyes.

"Who Are You?" Deadpool asked in a slow voice pronouncing each word carefully, as if he thought Peter wouldn't understand him.

Peter huffed out a breath of annoyance. "What's it to you?" Peter responded with a growl in his voice.

Deadpool jumped back as if frightened then leaned forward to peer more closely at Peter. "I think I'm the one asking the questions here. Aren't White." A pause as Deadpool cocked his head to the side slightly and stared into space like he was listening to someone. "Yea, I decided to talk to you again." Another pause. "It was your fault we were arguing in the first place!" a third pause. "Yea? WELL FUCK YOU TOO WHITE." Then Deadpool's eyes focused back on Peter as if nothing had happened. "Start talking."

Peter wasn;t sure what to make of this man other than he was crazy as fuck. White? Yellow? Voices? Weird one-sided conversations? This guy should be in a mental institution on some serious medication.

Suddenly there was a sharp prick at Peter's neck. Peter glanced down to see one of Deadpool's Katanas pressed against his neck.

"I told you to start talking. I don't like repeating myself." The man in front of him had completely changed. He was no longer whimsical or weird. He was terrifying, fierce, and dangerous. Peter wanted to gulp but he couldn't with the Katana pressed against his neck.

"I'm Peter," Peter squeaked out.

The katana disappeared as quickly as it had appeared and the whimsical Deadpool was back.

"Cool, cool, My name's Wade but everyone calls me Deadpool, or Pool for short. You can choose whichever you like." Wade said as he put his hand forward as if to shake Peter's hand.

Peter looked down at the hand, then back up at Wade with a "Seriously" look.

Wade just kept his hand out waiting patiently.

Peter sighed, "I can't really shake your hand." Peter wiggled his wrists as evidence causing the chains to clank around.

"Ooooh yeah, forgot about that, Yea yea Yellow, you can yell at me later, right now I'm much more curious about this little one."

Deadpool reached forward as if to touch Peter's cheek, causing Peter to flinch before the gloved hand could touch his skin. Deadpool's hand froze and withdrew.

Deadpool stepped back, putting his hands behind his back and scuffing the floor like a little kid that had just been scolded.

Peter couldn;t help but feel a little bad for this guy. He obviously needed help, and probably a friend. Under different circumstances, Peter would probably have reached out and tried to be Wade's friend but as things were... It just wasn't possible.

"Sorry, don't really like being touched by just anyone," Peter said trying to at least give an explanation for his actions.

Deadpool perked up at that, and turned to look at Peter hopefully. The boy gave him a reassuring smile.

"Are you two done flirting," Thanos spoke up from the corner, causing Peter to freeze and look over at the man, with fear-filled eyes.

He had forgotten Thanos was in the room. Thanos' face looked as calm as ever but Peter knew that didn't mean anything, Thanos' actions were impossible for him to predict.

"Nope." Deadpool replied cheerily, "He's a cutie, who wouldn't flirt with him."

Thanos rolled his eyes. "Deadpool, I have things I need to discuss with you, need I remind you that I am paying you a small fortune for your services, not so you can flirt with my prisoners."

"Ugggggh, I know Yellow, he takes all the fun out of everything but we are being paid." Deadpool groaned.

Deadpool followed Thanos out of the room, leaving Peter alone once more.

Peter wasn't sure how much time had passed since he had been left in the room by himself. All he knew was that he really needed to pee and there wasn't anything he could do about it but stand there, or wet his pants, which Peter was very much against.

Peter tried to think of things to distract himself but it was hard not to fixate on the ache in his bladder.

Peter was interrupted from his thoughts by the creaking of the door opening once more. Peter looked up to see Thanos again. Peter's bladder took a back seat to the fear making his heart race.

Thanos stood in front of him and looked him up and down. Peter gulped.

"Do you want to ask me for anything? Food? Water? Bathroom?" Thanos asked casually.

Peter blinked, unsure how to respond. Any of those would be nice, but he didn't trust Thanos to not have an ulterior motive. Peter didn't answer the question, just stared at Thanos with wary eyes.

Thanos waited for another minute or so before he turned away and started walking back towards the door. "I'll come back in a few hours and ask again."

A few hours?! Peter couldn't wait that long, not for a bathroom break. Thanos' hand was on the door before Peter called out.

"Wait."

Thanos stopped moving and with his hand still on the door to look at Peter. "Yes, Peter?"

"Can I use the bathroom?" Peter asked tentatively.

Thanos face twitched into the tiniest of smiles before it was gone.

"Certainly." Thanos walked back over to Peter, and started unchaining the boy. Peter felt his arms drop down to his sides causing his shoulder muscles to scream in agony. Peter couldn't help the little cry he let out from the pain. Thanos ignored it and undid the cuffs around Peter's ankles.

"Follow me, and remember your promise, Deadpool is with Aunt May right now and he won't hesitate to kill her," Thanos said then started walking towards the door.

Peter tried to move his legs, but they were both asleep and unable to support his weight. Peter fell hard, face-first onto the concrete floor. Pain shot through Peter's face centered around his nose. Peter screamed at the white-hot pain coursing through his nerve endings.

"Get up." Thanos gritted out.

Peter arm's felt like wet noodles, but they moved slowly trying to support Peter's dead weight. He got his arms underneath and pushed up on his elbows, Peter looked down and saw a pool of blood where his had been lying. Peter shook at the sight of so much blood.

He managed to get himself up into a sitting position, causing more pins and needles to shoot up and down his legs. Peter tentatively lifted a left hand to feel his face. He shakily placed a finger where he thought his nose would be. The sound of wet cartilage and feel of wet cartilage filled Peter's senses. Peter jerked his hand back and stared at it. Like the floor it was covered in deep red blood. Peter's head spun.

"I SAID GET UP!" Thanos' voice thundered.

Peter had to do what Thanos said, otherwise Aunt May would die. Peter pushed himself onto his wobbly legs and stood vibrating.

Thanos walked forward and roughly grabbed Peter by his upper arm, jarring Peter's already tender shoulder. Another cry of agony escaped from Peter. He had never hurt this much in so many different ways. And all the blood. Peter could taste it dribbling into his mouth from his nose.

The coppery taste filled Peter's senses, making the boy want to throw up. He wasn't sensitive about blood in general but when it was dripping from his face in vast quantities, he couldn't help the churning of his stomach.

Thanos roughly dragged Peter from the room and down the hall. Peter tried his best to keep up but his legs still felt wobbly, making it difficult for Peter to keep his feet under him.

Thanos grip tightened and then suddenly was gone causing Peter to stagger and almost fall again. He caught himself on the wall of the hallway and looked up into Thanos' face. The look that Thanos was giving him was the scariest expression Peter had ever seen. The man looked...demented.

The man reached down towards Peter's face causing the boy to try and flinch away from the touch.

"Don't move." Thanos snapped.

Peter froze, terror, causing him to almost wet his pants right then and there. Thanos touched Peter's face, right where Peter's nose used to be. Peter felt searing hot pain again as Thanos jerked something around his face. The Sound of cartilage scraping against bone and the wet squelching of the blood still streaming in rivulets down his face was somehow worse than the pain.

Peter's stomach did a full flip at the sound and bile rose up Peter's throat. Peter quickly swallowed.

"Now go use the bathroom then come back out here and stand in front of me," Thanos spoke before leaning against the wall.

Peter looked up to see an open doorway, with no door, in front of him. Peter held onto the wall as he made his way slowly into the bathroom.

Peter peered around, he noticed a filthy toilet, a dirty utility sink and nothing else. Not even a mirror where he could see what damage had been done to his face. He limped over to the toilet and thought about standing but he was pretty sure his legs would not support him.

Peter slowly lowered his sweats and boxer briefs, not caring that Thanos was probably watching him. The man had seen him naked and Peter needed to pee too badly.

Peter was able to sit gingerly use the restroom and return to Thanos without much fuss except for the no toilet paper, not that he needed it, but still, it would have been nice to wipe the toilet seat.

Peter's legs were finally starting to feel normal again, the ache in his face had dulled to throbbing pain, and Peter's shoulders' were feeling a little better. He was able to make it out of the bathroom on somewhat steady feet and stand in front of Thanos without shaking too much.

"Good Boy." Thanos praised.

Peter couldn't stop the bile this time. The way Thanos had said the term of praise that Tony said to him was just too wrong. Peter doubled over as his body revolted and the little bit of contents remaining in Peter's stomach heaved out of him all over Thanos' shoes. Peter raised his head looking with terror up at Thanos.

"YOU FUCKING BRAT!" Thanos snarled and punched Peter in the head sending the poor boy careening to the floor. The last thing Peter felt was his skull impacting with the concrete of the hallway, then nothing.


End file.
